The Animal I have Become
by KimiruMai
Summary: In the only area on earth not explored,The Void, she is a scientist,and he is a Prince/experiment. Captured in his own territory, he is kept in a glass like cage as she slowly gets to know him...until she realizes she loves him enough to set him free...
1. Void

**A/N: Kinda wanted to finish my first fanfic before I started another, but I just read an awesome fanfic by VeggieBlueRaven and it gave me an idea and now it's bashing my brains to get out. So. **

**This one is about Bulma and Vegeta, little G/CC, not sure about any other romances. There are a few OC's but they aren't very significant. **

**Summary: **

**Bulma and her father are the best scientist in Japan- No, the world probably. Already they've developed a transport device, and have taken a crew to the only unexplored area of earth left; A place long ago dubbed "The Void" because anyone who ever entered disappeared, never to be seen again. The Briefs want to take samples of animals and plants, but when they accidentally stumble upon the Prince of a race they didn't know existed, they drop everything and begin a new study. The mysterious man isn't exactly willing however, so slightly…extreme measures are taken. After bringing him back to a chamber to keep him contained, Bulma slowly starts communicating with him. That's when she realized that he is so much more than some experiment, not just as a person, but to her…**

**REVIEW and let me know what you guys think!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Void<strong>

_FLASH! _

A blue haired girl opened her eyes to find herself in a foggy mass of woods. Her father and crew appeared behind her, along with all their equipment as well as temporary living quarters. The scientists sat down many boxes, taking out capsules and opening them. In mere minutes, they'd set up a miniature village.

Bulma smirked. She was a genius. The capsules had been her idea.

"Imagine it!" she'd told her father. "Taking mass and contracting it into an infinitely small space, to be able to remove it and put it back whenever you please! Imagine the possibilities!" He'd loved her idea, and the two began working on it immediately.

She was only twenty. She hadn't bothered going to college; what was the point? They could teach her anything she didn't already know; heck, she should be the one teaching them! Besides, she was an heiress. A genius heiress. Capsule Corp. was one of the most established companies on earth. Her future, and probably the future of her great-great-great-great 5x great grandchildren's' futures were set!

The teleportation device had been hers too. A small (very fashionable) belt with buttons on the side, like sequins almost. Each one did something different. One button was the teleporter itself, another was a shield, one was a weapon dispenser, and so on. Capsule technology mixed with that of flying cars.

The crew had told her teleportation was impossible.

"Oh please! Imagine if we had ultra-fast cars that could take us arcross the globe in seconds. Would that accountable speed not be considered teleportation? I am not bending time and space; I am merely decreasing the amount of time it should take us in order to cross that space."

They'd been speechless.

She chuckled, remembering. What a clever, young, beautiful, talented woman she was.

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><p>The boy was surprised, to say the least.<p>

He gripped his spear in his hands, glad his unusual need for a weapon had overtaken him that day.

_FLASH!_

It had been blinding. Instinctively, he closed his eyes, shielding his face with his he opened them, all he saw was a girl.

No, she was a woman.

She was pretty, with strange blue hair and eyes. Her skin was pale, like Kakarot's woman.

He'd never seen blue hair. Actually, he'd never seen anyone without black hair. It was long and straight and…tamed. All the women in his village had crazy hair. Except Kakarot's woman…

Ah, so that was it. This strange blue haired female was a human. That explained things.

_FLASH!_

_Another one? _He thought angrily. Who did these people think they were, barging into his home like this?

He watched in awe as they opened the capsules. _Huh. Why haven't we thought of that?_ He wondered.

His people were very technologically advanced, although their everyday lives were primitive. They had guns, but they mostly preferred to hunt with bows, swords and spears, if they used weapons at all.

"I want my lab over there," the blue haired woman said.

"Yes, Miss Briefs," the men said.

_What kind of blasphemy is this? Women ordering men around!_ The boy scoffed.

"Bulma,dear?" A man with purple hair came out of one of the newly placed buildings.

_Men with purple hair. It's unnatural._ The boy sneered.

"Yes Daddy?"

"Would you like to start examining plants or animals first?" the man asked.

"Plants are boring. Let's go with animals." She said firmly. The boy was slightly impressed by her answer. She must at least have Saiyan traits if she preferred the hunt over herbs.

Still. This was his territory. They were not permitted to hunt here.

He tensed, crouching to spring.

_COME HOME_. A voice rand in his head. Blasted telepathy.

_But-_

_NOW. _

The boy growled, slinking into the brush.

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><p>Bulma jumped, scanning the area. She' d heard something. A growl maybe? Her hand moved to the button on her belt that released the weapon. She saw nothing and shrugged, going back to what she was doing.<p>

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><p>The boy wasn't tall, but he wasn't short either. He had flame black hair, and dark obsidian orbs to match. He was handsome, with dark features and tan skin on his sculpted body; he was desired by many of the village women, and he knew it. He didn't like any of them though. He wanted a woman, not a slave. He thought back to the girl with blue hair, how she ordered the men around like she expected them to obey her on command, like she was smarter than they were and she knew it. Now <em>that<em> was a woman.

He was twenty one years old, but he wasn't a man. He wouldn't be a man until he had chosen a woman and gone through the rites of passage, like Kakarot had when he chose his human woman. Why he picked her was beyond the boy, although the harpy did have a few Saiyan traits, stubbornness being one of them.

He was incredibly fast. Without putting much effort into his gait, he had crossed the hundred miles to his palace in minutes. He stood before his father, his face serious and stoical.

"Do not engage with them," his father said. "We will observe them and decide if they can be useful. If they aren't, then you may dispose of them. Understood?"

"Yes Father."

"Good."

The boy growled as he left the room. All these restrictions!

He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down will ya? We'll "interact" with them sooner or later," Kakarot said cheerfully.

He just growled again and stalked off into the woods.

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><p>Bulma sighed. Not a single animal so far! Geez, you'd think this place would be crawling with them! Not even a measly squirrel. Surely the life here was different and exotic! The animals shouldn't know enough to be afraid of humans!<p>

_Rustle_.

She jumped. "What was that?" she asked.

No one answered. Bulma turned around to find herself completely alone.

"Oh great." She said. "That's just perfect. Absolutely peachy!"

_Rustle. _

And NOW something was stalking her. _Lovely._

Bulma didn't believe in the "stay put and someone will find you" mess. No way was she standing still for that long, and sitting on who knows what was not an option.

So, she started walking.

For hours.

In circles.

And she couldn't find a soul.

She walked until she saw a clearing up ahead. Overjoyed to see something other than trees, she rushed forward – and fell into a giant hole.

Bulma landed with a thud. "Oww," she whined, rubbing the back of her head. She looked up. The hole was at least ten feet straight up. It looked like it'd been dug. But that was impossible. No people lived here.

_Rustle_.

That sound again!

Her heart thudded in her chest. Frantically she tried to catch her breath, figuring a predator would be able to smell her sweating. She reached for her belt, cursing herself for not remembering the emergency call button.

_BZZ!_

Her finger stung. She'd landed on the belt in a puddle of water. Now the stupid thing was short circuiting! Too late, she realized she should have put a tracking device on the belt so she could find her comrades if something like this happened.

Dang.

_Rustle._

Suddenly, a rope was tossed into the pit. Bulma jumped. "Hello?" she called. "Is anyone there?"

No answer.

"Daddy?"

Nothing.

_Well, if whoever it is planned on killing me they could have shot me from above,_ she reasoned. _Might as well._

She tugged on the rope, and finding it taunt, began climbing it. Finally pulling herself over the edge, Bulma looked around.

No one was there.

Okay, now things were getting creepy. "Hello? Is someone there? Hello!" No one answered her.

_The rope, dummy_, she thought.

She followed the rope, which led to a patch of thick brush…and stopped.

Whoever had pulled her from the pit had just dropped it and took off.

"What a jerk! Now I'm just as lost as I was! He/she could have at least told me where I am," she fumed and started walking back in the direction she figured she had come.

High in the trees, a twenty one year old boy hung from a branch by his tail and one hand, with one bare foot resting on the trunk, watching her.

**A/N: Okie dokie, thanks for reading guys! Review and let me know what you think!**

**~KimiruMai**


	2. Tranquilizers

**A/N: WOW! I only posted one chapter and already there are 57 views! Already two reviews and 1 fave! Maybe cuz Bulma's in this one. Anyway, thanks guys!**

**This one kinda explains itself…**

**And yes, I got the idea for the title from Three Days Grace. Love that band. As well as multiple others.**

**Disclaimer: If and only IF I just happened to be the forever awesome Akira-sensei, there would have been a girl Super Saiyan. And Veggie's tail woulda grown back.**

**Obviously since I got the title from them I was listening to multiple songs by Three Days Grace while writing this. JSYK.**

**FireStorm1991: I'm super glad you're reading this! Thanks!**

**Anny: Thank you! Hope this satisfies!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Tranquilizers<strong>

"Daddy!" Bulma cried, running into her father's arms.

"Where have you been? Oh my, what a scare you gave us!"

"I am installing tracking devices right now," she said. "And protective equipment. That fall really hurt. And escape equipment. Where's my tool box?"

The men chuckled. One of them, Yamcha, handed her a capsule. "Here it is, babe. I figured you'd want it."

"Thanks."

Satisfied that she'd been found, the boy leapt off his perch and disappeared.

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><p>He wasn't sure what had possessed him to help the woman. Maybe because her walking around in circles had made him dizzy, or the fact that her stumbling over everything was making his sides hurt from laughter.<p>

_What clumsy oafs humans are,_ he thought with a smirk.

That night, he found himself lying awake on the rooftop, gazing at the stars, thinking about her.

The scared man's words irritated him. _Babe._ Obviously she wasn't a child. And yet she'd taken the insult like he'd called her by her name. _Strange creatures. _

Kakarot's woman had preferred Saiyan lifestyle; she thought technology in the house, or rather outside the kitchen, made a person lazy. She hadn't really talked much about humans, and until now, no one had seemed to care.

The next morning, he set off again, curiosity getting the better of him. No one ever asked where he was going.

He thought about leaving a small animal of some type for them to study, but changed his mind after he saw them dissecting a frog. Nature was important to Saiyans; it was their source of life. Any life that was taken was used up to its full potential, not just cut open and thoroughly wasted.

He watched them for days, always silent, never revealing himself. Some of the things they did disgusted him, like their strange smells and their lack of physical activity. Other things, like their ability to go long times without acceptable amounts of food, impressed him, if only slightly.

A week after their arrival, the men went out to look for more creatures. The boy smirked. He'd already told nature to hide its animals – if they were going to be hunted, then at least their bodies would be truly used by the Saiyans concerning natural selection. The woman, he noticed, stayed behind, working with awful smelling liquids in strange glass tubes.

The boy leaned forward on a branch, observing her. To his dismay, it cracked under his weight, and he tumbled to the ground. The woman jumped, looking around. She stepped forward as she saw his movement.

_She's seen me now. Might as well._

She found him just as he stood.

He was beautiful.

That was the first thing that entered her mind when she saw the man. Not, 'oh look, another human,' or 'wow! Where did he come from?'

Nope. Just, _He's beautiful._

She felt herself inhaling sharply as he rose and turned to face her, his dark eyes boring through her own.

His hair was the darkest black she'd ever seen, and it stood straight up like an obsidian flame. His jawline was firm and hard, his lips completely relaxed, not in a smirk or scowl, just relaxed.

His bronze skin was smooth, flawless, and his body was perfectly sculpted with muscle. He wore no shirt, just leggings that looked like they could possibly be made of deerskin, and his feet were bare. A bow was slung on his back, which should have warned her to draw her own weapon, but somehow she couldn't.

_He's beautiful. _

They stood there, staring at each other, not saying a word, not moving.

Finally, Bulma spoke. "Um…hello. Who are you?"

Immediately, the man leapt backwards and disappeared into the brush. "Wait!" Bulma cried. "Come back! I won't hurt you!"

She tore after him, crashing into branches, her long hair catching on who knows what.

_He's so fast_, she thought breathlessly. She didn't know he wasn't even running at half speed.

She heard the tracker on her belt beeping, knowing her comrades could see her moving. She didn't stop to check her communicator though – If she stopped, she would lose him.

Bulma came to a clearing, finding the man had disappeared. She sighed, feeling dreadfully disappointed. She turned around to go back and shrieked.

The man was upside down, staring at her.

"Oh – You scared me!" She said, trying to catch her breath. Finally, she stilled her heartbeat, and gave the man another once-over. _Strange,_ she thought. _He wasn't that tall when I saw him, so how is he hanging this low if his legs are wrapped around the tree branch?_

"I'm Bulma Briefs, smartest woman in the world," she said, regaining her composure. "Who are you?"

He leapt from the branch to a higher one to the right, this time landing right-side up. His big hands gripped a branch and the tree trunk, one leg dangling.

_How did he do that? I've never seen anyone this agile!_ She thought, baffled.

"O…kay…Would you tell me your name? No? Okay then…" she suddenly noticed something furry around the man's middle.

"What's that around your waist?" she asked. He looked confused. _He probably can't understand me,_ she thought to herself. Trying to be more elaborate, she pointed and repeated the question. He looked down at his abdomen (which was also perfect) and the furry thing uncurled from his body.

"Oh…my…Kami…" She gasped. "Is that – is that a tail? You have a tail! How is that possible?"

There was a flash of movement. Bulma blinked, and suddenly the man was in front of her. She yelped, falling backwards before his big hands caught her, pulling her upright.

"Oh, uh, thanks. Umm, how is it possible that you have a tail?" he didn't answer, just looked at her, studying her. His eyes shone with intelligence, telling Bulma he wasn't a dumb brute. The man reached out, his fingers brushing her cheek, right below a new cut.

Suddenly she heard voices. Her father and the crew had found her. The man whirled, scanning the trees. The men tore through the brush, guns ready.

"Wait!" Bulma cried.

Too late. Yamcha fired. The tranquilizer dart embedded itself in the man's back. He roared in fury, his torso arching as he reached over his head for the dart in his shoulder blade. The hairs on her neck stood up on end; the human vocal cords shouldn't be capable of making such an animal like sound! Then again, he did have a tail.

"Don't worry Bulma!" Yamcha called, taking aim again.

"No! Wait!"

The man rushed at them, baring his teeth and drawing back his fist. Yamcha yelped, pulling the trigger. At the same time, three other scientists pulled the triggers on their guns, a net shooting out and catching the man just as the tranquilizer did.

He jerked as the needle sunk into his skin, crashing to the ground unconscious.

"YOU IDIOTS!" Bulma seethed. "I was TALKING to him! Now we can't learn ANYTHING!"

Yamcha shuffled his feet. "They're only sedatives, Bulma," he said sheepishly.

"Yes, I know that! And now we have to wait until he wakes up! And you shot him twice! The human body can't HANDLE that much sedatives!"

"Well, he wasn't reacting to the first one! I thought it was a dud!"

"Holy…he's got a tail!" A scientist, Nakamura, exclaimed.

"By Kami, it's incredible!" Miyamoto cried.

"We have to analyze this!" Sato said.

"I will analyze him, thank you very much. Since you four knocked him out, you're carrying him back to the lab. Move it!" Bulma ordered.

They obeyed, pulling the heavy man onto their shoulders. He groaned softly, his muscular arm dragging on the ground before they finally were able to lift him off the ground.

He opened his eyes. The blue haired woman was sitting in a chair, watching him. In her hands there was a flat piece of wood, and a little blue stick with a sharp tip.

_Strange creatures,_ he thought. He sat up slowly, stinging pain shooting in the back of his head. He winced. The woman looked up.

"Oh good! You're awake!" she cried. "I thought you were going to keel over on me. That was a lot of sedatives! That much could have killed a lion! You're one tough cookie, eh Tarzan?"

_What the hell is a Tarzan? _

She looked at his confused face, then grinned. "Oh! Tarzan is this guy that grew up with gorillas in the jungle. You know, since you have a monkey tail…oh never mind! Anyway-"

He ignored her, trying to figure out why she looked so fuzzy, and why her voice echoed. He reached out and jumped when his fingers touched something solid.

"That's steel titanium glass. I made it myself," the woman said proudly through the microphone. She pushed a button on the control panel. "I took the steel and titanium and made an alloy, and coated the glass. It's got filters so you can breathe. I can use the metal properties for electricity, and the glass properties make it invisible, even though I can filter light and make it opaque." She pushed another button, and a hazy light appeared in front of him, coating the strange barrier. "It's virtually indestructible. I've already had it tested against wrecking balls."

He stood slowly and looked around. The cage was large, for a tiger anyway. He wouldn't last long in this tiny space.

Moving with blinding speed, he rammed his body against the walls. It didn't break, do his dismay. He shoved and shoved again, but not a single crack formed.

"Told you," the woman said. "You know, you're incredibly strong. And fast. Can you speak? It'd be great if you could tell me something about yourself. But if you can't then I can just start from scratch. I don't really mind. This project should be fun!"

He just stared at her, his dark eyes full of stubbornness.

"You're going to be a tough one. I won't dissect you, so no need to worry. Although Miyamoto and Nakamura might. But they can't do anything without mine or my father's consent. So again, no need to worry."

He said nothing. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he sank to his knees, clutching his side. He shook, convulsing before he coughed up blood.

"Crap!" Bulma yelled. "Damn side effects! Yamcha!" She pressed a button on her belt and walked right through the glass.

He felt her tiny hands on his back, stroking him, telling him he'd be fine, that nothing was going to happen to him. Under normal circumstances, he would have scoffed at how the woman figured he'd never felt like this, like he'd never felt enough pain to make him choke on his own blood. But his mind was overtaken by his body, his short circuiting nerves taking away his ability to think.

She jabbed another needle in his arm. He felt pain for about a half a second before he blacked out.

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><p><strong>AN: Chapie number two! Thanks for reading and PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE REVIEW!**

**~KimiruMai**


	3. Through The Glass

**A/N: Thanksgivings over. NOOOOO! I'M NOT READY YET! **

**Sigh. Well, at least I get to see this cute boy at school XD. Am I the only one who started their homework tonight? **

**OMGG 91 VISITORS IN ONE DAY! THANK YOU! HUGGSS!**

**This one's pretty short but very cute. And animal-like. If that's possible. **

**FireStomer1991: Ya….obviously these scientists aren't good with life threatening circumstances. XD**

**Daughterofrisingsun: Thank you! I had fun writing this =)**

**Nahia: Thanks for the tips! To answer your questions: The Void is humid, just cuz it's sort of a jungle. I established that he recognized she was a human in the first chapter; she said he was beautiful so he was obviously clean (you know Bulma), his hair's the same as always; Since he's caged, he doesn't normally see them cleaning themselves, as they practically brought capsule houses for them to stay in. Don't forget he's only been seeing them for about a week, and he has other responsibilities like hunting and diplomatic stuff that keeps him busy for most of the day. Good questions!**

**Pallyndrome: He does speak their language, he learned it from Chi Chi, or "Kakarot's woman" kinda like he already knew English when he came to earth in the original. He just chooses not to speak, sinces he's pissed off right now, but Bulma doesn't know that.**

**Anny: Saiyan's aren't normally very sentimental with people besides their mates. Therefore, as far as his father is concerned, he's just off neglecting his responsibilities again, and he'll come home when he's ready for his "punishment". Good question!**

**Vegetaanime: Yes, such is the way of scientist. She told him she wasn't dissecting him and she means it'll be fun for her lolz. Yes, I did that on purpose XD No biggy! I got the review anyways so thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I am a girl. Also, I am positive I am much much MUCH prettier than Akira-sensei. And Vegeta woulda been a lot more involved in GT if I owned anything. **

**Sorry, I keep bashing on how Veggie was treated XD**

**Hope this chapter and review replies cleared everything up!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Through The Glass<strong>

The boy opened his eyes.

He was lying in a bed. That was strange. Had he dreamt it all?

He sat up. No. The woman was still here, working with those awful liquids again.

While he was knocked out, they'd cleaned up the blood, put a bed inside, and a stool, and a plate of food. He stood, walking over to the plate. Squatting beside the food, he lifted a spoonful to his lips and sniffed it.

The woman, seeing him awake, rushed to the glass and looked at him long and hard. He glared at her.

"That's corn," she said, pointing to the yellow stuff on his fork. "I don't think you'd have that here, considering the soil. It's good, try it!"

He didn't like the smell, so he dropped it back in the plate and picked up something else.

"Or not," the woman muttered.

He ate the tiny portion of meat, as well as everything else, minus the corn. He picked up a round, sweet smelling brown thing with dark spots.

"That's a chocolate chip cookie," she said. "Those are delicious."

He smelled it, and liking the sweet aroma, stuffed the entire thing in his mouth.

"Whoa! Someone's hungry," the woman observed.

He looked at her and held out the plate.

"You want more? Jeez, that was an entire meal! Sorry buddy, we've got to ration this stuff so we don't have to make so many trips. Not a lot of fuel, y'know? No, I suppose you don't. Anyway, that's all I can give you for now."

He frowned, tail twitching. The woman pulled a stool up to the glass and sat very close. She pointed to his chair, then the spot in front of her. He glared, then grabbed the stool and sat in front of her. She squealed, delighted than he understood her.

_Foolish woman. Like I'm some big, dumb brute._

"Bulma, would you stop squealing?" A man – Miyamoto, said. "He's a monkey man. Even a big dumb brute like him must know how to sit."

Vegeta growled. The woman jumped at the terrifyingly animal sound. Then she glared at the man.

"Shut up! He's not a big dumb brute! He's smart! I'm happy because he responded to me. I didn't think he would."

"Probably cause he's a big dumb brute." The man said. "What makes you think he's smart? D'ya give him an IQ test already?"

"Again, shut up! I can tell by his eyes. He's very intelligent."

_Well. The woman was smart. _

"You women and your intuitions! This is science Bulma, not high school."

"Miyamoto, you have ten seconds to get out of my sight before I program your belt to take you home and self-destruct."

The man shuffled away immediately.

The woman looked back at the boy. "Don't mind him. He's a fool. I can tell you're very intelligent. Smarter than him, probably, and who knows how many science majors he's got."

_Majors?_

"My name is Bulma. Oh, I already told you that. Oh well. Hey – what are you doing?"

He'd gotten up from the stool and was slowly walking around the glass cage, running his hands along the wall as he looked for a weak spot. He growled, finding none.

"I told you, you can't break it. It's indestructible."

His flickering tail drooped, dragging on the ground.

"I know you must hate it in there. But they're afraid you'd run away. Which you probably would – no offense."

_Would she ever shut up?_ He sat down, folding his arms, back straight.

She smiled. He had an awfully regal look to him. Maybe he was the leader of…well, whoever.

She went and sat in front of him again, this time on the ground so they were eye level. She scowled and folded her own arms, imitating him.

He raised an eyebrow.

She laughed. He was smart.

"Where do you come from? We looked for miles and there's nothing, but you're very fast, so I imagine it's far away from here. Is it very beautiful?" He said nothing, looking angry before he stood, walking over to another wall and began punching the glass.

She sighed. "You must really want out, huh?"

He didn't answer, of course. Just kept punching.

"Please stop. You can't break it; I told you!" He didn't listen. His grimaced, his knuckles getting bloody.

The woman started to panic. "Please! Please stop! You'll hurt yourself!"

Poor woman. She had no idea what true pain was like.

The glass wasn't cracking. It would have to give sometime, wouldn't it?

Wouldn't it?

He punched it once more, extra hard, before he put one hand on the glass and hung his head, closing his eyes.

Freedom. He'd taken it for granted so many times. Thinking his father's orders were restrictions.

And now, he was in a cage.

Karma really was a bitch, wasn't it?

His complex senses picked up a warm touch on the other side of the glass. He looked up; the woman's hand was against his, theoretically speaking. He stared into her strange blue eyes. She looked concerned. A damp cloth and some gauze were in her free hand.

"Can I come in there with you?" she asked. "I don't think you'll hurt me, or you would have done it earlier, right?" He just stared at her, not moving. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, very slowly.

Her body shimmered as it went straight through the glass, her hand making contact with his. She didn't put her hand down, brave thing, and neither did he. He backed away as she came in, giving her room. They stood, their hands touching, for a few seconds, before he sat down, the woman following his example.

She took his hands and ran the damp cloth over his bloody knuckles gently. He didn't flinch once, not even when she wrapped the gauze around his hand. When she finished, his flexed his fingers, looking at them carefully as she bandaged his other hand.

She watched him as he looked at each finger, curling and uncurling each one, testing them.

When she finished, he looked at her, studying her.

"Are you okay?" she asked, motioning to his fingers. He looked at them, clenching and unclenching his fist.

She took that as a yes.

Bulma reached into her giant pocket and pulled out a small brown bag.

"I'm not supposed to give these to you, but you really seemed to like them…" she pulled out another cookie. His tail twitched with interest. She smiled and offered the cookie, sitting the bag down behind her.

He took it, eating it slowly this time. He looked at her, wanting another. Bulma laughed. "You don't have sugar a lot do you?" she said, giving him another. "Be careful or you'll get fat," she warned. Her eyes strayed over his perfect body; not an ounce of fat anywhere. He was perfectly sculpted.

_Beautiful._

"Then again, I doubt a whole bag of these would hurt you," she said. He grinned suddenly, the bad in his hands.

Bulma whirled, looking behind her. The cookies were gone! How had he done that? He hadn't even moved!

Did he? The bag was in his hands…

Bulma frowned. "Alright, monkey boy, I admit it, that was clever. But if you don't give those back right now, I'm never bringing you cookies again."

He looked up, cookie halfway to his mouth. "Put it back," Bulma ordered. He glared, dropping the cookie back into the back and handing it back to her.

"Good." She said. "I see when I threaten your cookie supply it gets me places. Now, how about I give you one cookie for each question you answer?"

He scoffed. Bribing him with food! Yes, he wanted it, but he wasn't going to be her little circus clown for it.

"No? Huh. Well, someone has more self-control than I thought. You know, the sooner you answer my questions, the sooner we can get done with this study. And the sooner we get done with this study, the sooner I can let you out."

He looked up sharply, his eyes narrowing.

"I swear, you'll get out of here when we're finished," she promised, crossing her heart.

He seemed to be pondering this. Before he could answer, a loud explosion erupted.

"Daddy!" Bulma shrieked, flying out of the glass container. The boy stood, tapping the glass, wondering why she could go through it and he couldn't. The belt, he figured.

The man with purple hair ran out of one of the little buildings, yelling to the men to help "Sato".

One of the men who'd caught him.

Apparently, the man put too many of those awful liquids together, and it exploded in his face.

_Foolish humans,_ he thought. Surely anyone could tell by the awful smells that those liquids weren't to be playing with.

After they'd finally gotten the man out of the mess he'd made for himself, the woman began discussing the matter of replacing him with more scientists.

"We could have 18 come," she suggested. "Her father was a genius, and she's really good with chemicals too."

"Yes," the purple haired man replied thoughtfully. "Yes, that would be satisfactory. Tell her to bring that boy Krillin too. We need more man power around here."

"Okay."

_Super. More humans! And now they were bringing a warrior in. This Krillin person. That makes escaping a bit more difficult. I wonder how strong he is._

* * *

><p>18 and Krillin appeared about an hour later after gathering their things. Bulma hugged her friends and began showing them what had been done so far. Amidst her tour, she heard someone laughing. She looked around, her eyes bugging out when she saw who it was.<p>

The monkey man was on the floor in his cage, laughing so hard tears began rolling down his cheeks.

"Now, what on earth's gotten into him?" she wondered aloud.

"Who's he?" asked Krillin.

"The monkey man I told you about."

"The one with a tail?"

"No, the one with panda ears. Yes the one with a tail!"

"What's he laughing at?" 18 inquired.

"How should I know?" Bulma said, shrugging.

"Can he talk?" Krillin asked.

"I don't know. He won't respond to me with words, but sometimes he grins like something I say is funny. Like now. Do you want to meet him?"

"I guess," they said simultaneously.

Bulma smiled and led them to the cage.

"Does he have a name?"

"I told you he won't tell me. I've only had him for like, three days. And he was unconscious for a day and a half."

They stared at the man, who grinned devilishly at them. Then he looked at Krillin and laughed again, pinching the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb.

Krillin gaped. "Is he – is he laughing at me?"

Bulma slapped her forehead. "Bad! Bad monkey!" she scolded.

He smirked at her. _Bad monkey indeed._

"See?" Bulma groaned, exasperated. "He thinks it's funny when I have an angry face on."

"He's intelligent," 18 observed.

"Yes. I'd be great if I could tell by how much, though. Sometimes it seems like he can tell what I'm saying, like when I told him to put the cookie down – "

"Cookies?"

"Yes cookies. But then again he could have just detected an angry tone in my voice, so until he says something I won't know for sure."

"So, uh, Bulma…" Krillin asked .

"Yeah?"

"How's Yamcha?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well….I uh….kinda saw him with his new girlfriend and he said you'd broken up –"

"WHAT? We haven't broken up! That little cheating…"

"Do you want to talk about it?" 18 asked gently.

"Oh we'll talk about it alright! The second that little sleaze-bag gets back here, he's going to feel my wrath!"

"Krillin, maybe we should leave her alone…" 18 said, retreating.

"Waayyyy ahead of you," said the little bald man, already disappearing.

Bulma stalked in front of the cage, fuming,

"I can't believe him!" she ranted. "After all we've been through, he betrays me? Breaks up with me without my knowing? UGH! How dare he?"

The monkey man just sat on the floor, watching her. Finally, she stopped her rant and sat in front of him, letting the tears flow down her face.

"Why would he….I just don't get it." She looked up, dark onyx eyes meeting her large blue ones. "I doubt you can understand me…but do you ever feel like that? Like even after all the work you put in, it's just not enough for the very people you did all of it for?"

He nodded solemnly.

"I just can't believe he'd – wait…did you just nod?"

He nodded again.

"Oh my Kami….you did! You responded to me! You mean you can really understand my language?" she cried.

"Yes." His voice was deep, sexy.

"Dear Kami, you talked! I don't believe this!"

"You seem to not believe in a lot of things, woman," he said.

"Wha – you mean you can already speak my language…fluently?"

"I could speak it very well before I even met you. You are the one who assumed I was unable to speak." He replied curtly.

"I did not! I asked you questions, and you wouldn't answer me! I even offered you cookies-"

"Woman, do you honestly think someone my age would take food bribes?"

"I – good point. You could have at least answered me though."

"You could have let me out."

"No. And I can't do that now, either. We have to complete the study."

"Do all humans like studying creatures that are different from you?" he asked.

She was taken aback by his question. "Um…"

"I assure you, I am a person as much as I am an animal. No "study" is needed."

"You can't be both a human and an animal!"

"Did I say I was human?"

"You said you were an animal though, and you're clearly not."

"True. I am a Saiyan. Happy now?"

"What's a Saiyan? Where do you come from? And where is your home? We've looked for miles in every direction and nothing!"

"Unless you humans are slightly less weak than I thought, I highly doubt you've crossed nearly enough miles to reach my kingdom. And to answer your question, I refuse to tell you anything, if it means you will try to lock my people away in cages like you have done to me." He said, anger coming out in his last sentence. "You're lucky you had those guns with you. Otherwise you wouldn't have stood a chance against me."

"I gathered that," she said. "How do you know what guns are?"

"We are very technologically advanced."

"And yet you hunt with bows?"

"We use technology to defend ourselves against Ice-jins. Not our prey."

"Prey. Maybe you're more animal than I thought. Wait…you said kingdom? Are you a king? And what's an Ice-jin?" her voice rose with excitement.

"I am Prince. I will not be King until my father resigns and I have chosen a woman. And you don't want to know."

She looked surprised. "You're single?"

"Yes. You seem astonished."

She blushed. "I just…well I figured someone like you would have a wife."

"Someone like me?"

"Well…you're kind of handsome, just saying, so unless the men in your kingdom are super gorgeous –"

He smirked. "Handsome, am I? Is that why you've captured me?" She turned pink. "Just because I am "handsome", as you say, does not mean I am attracted to the women in my territory."

She was quiet for a moment, blinking back tears as she thought of Yamcha and the woman that was currently in _her_ territory. "What's your name?" she asked softly.

He looked at her, his dark eyes searing through her, as if sensing her pain.

"Vegeta."

"Vegeta," she said. It was a beautiful name; it fit him, sounding very regal. "I'm Bulma."

"I know."

"Just checking."

"Damn scientist."

She laughed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: AND THE MONKEY SPEAKS!**

**Hope this cleared up any questions you guys had. Let me know if you have anymore! Reviews make my day literally. Already this story three chapter story has more than my 15 chapter story (which by the way I advise you to check out) although again that's probably cuz this one has Bulma in it. Anywho, review and let me know what you think! Love you guys!**

**P.S. Please don't ask me to give you hints, that spoils it =)**

**~KimiruMai**


	4. Radiance

**A/N: Hello, dear peoples! My adoring fans! My awesome followers! LOL just kidding.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter! It was kinda funny for me to write! Sorry if it was confusing. After reading it like three times over once I'd posted it I realized I kinda jumped from one person's mindset to another. However, since so many have already read it (plus I'm lazy) I can't really fix it without it being really chaotic.**

**These next chapters are probably going to be about them getting to know eachother, despite outside interferrence. **

**Anny: Why thank you! Great minds think alike! Actually, Bulma hasn't treated him that harshly. True about the cookie thing, but you forget he hadn't said a word yet, so she can't tell how smart he is. In the Majin Buu saga, Vegeta came up with this ingenious plan with like NO holes in it WHATSOEVER, and I thought he should have gotten a lot more credit for that one. I mean seriously, the man's a genius. So that's what I'm going for. Also, I toned down their violence slightly. Much as I love/obssess with DBZ, I hate how Akira-sensei made him so ruthless and mean. Without Freiza, Veggie coulda been really nice! And he's really sweet in his own way if you think about it, so I always thought that should have been recognized more too.**

**Gohanroxme: Thank you! I tried keeping everyone as close to the oringinals as I could, because it drives me nuts when people stray too far. I mean, if Veggie was all happy-go-lucky, that'd be really…I don't know, just unnatural. I thought this would be what he would be like if he hadn't been taken by Frieza and made into some violent killer. I always thought that was mean of Akira-sensei, much as I love his writing. **

**FireStorm1991: Thank you! I try! I'm sort of trying to go for this cute/dangerous/sexy mix for Veggie. Though he obviously has issues with the word cute lol. Again, trying to make him still arrogant, prideful and annoying at sometimes without making him horribly violent. A gentle yet arrogant Geta is a bit more likable, right? XD**

**Nahia: Good thinking! I got the clown bit from Akira-sensei, actually. Veggie's always calling people clowns right off the bat, so I'm honestly not sure were he knew them from…but hey, all kingdoms have court jesters, right? XD As for Bulma's demands, he really just didn't want his cookie supply cut off. Like I said, he already spoke English fluently, so he understood her threat even though she didn't know that. Plus I figured he wouldn't have to be AS stubborn if he hadn't been forced against his will his whole life; and I wanted him to have a little self control since he has none when it comes to food in the real thing XD. I kept somethings about the Saiyans similar, like how they never bothered with any legend other than the Super Saiyan, and Veggie was never superstitious; remember (if you've seen it) in the Majin Buu Saga, when he didn't think wizards were all that powerful? See, no superstiton. I can't really say why he know's or doesn't know things simply because the story doesn't cover his whole life.**

**More is going to be cleared up with Saiyan culture and history during the next couple of chapters. **

**Anyway, I'm rambling. Hope you guys like the story!**

**Disclaimer: Now, how in the world could I be the awesome Akira-sensei? DB, DBZ, and DBGT were written in Japanese originally, and I don't speak a word of anything but English and a little Spanish.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Radiance<strong>

Bulma woke up in a super good mood, despite personal circumstances. She was so excited that Vegeta had engaged in a real conversation, and even better, had told her his name; she hadn't done more than tell Yamcha things were over. He was shocked, and appoligized immediately. Bulma, being the sweet, nice, wonderful woman she was, forgave him, but advised him to keep his distance for a while.

She hadn't told anyone that Vegeta had spoken. This crucial fact made him seem even more human, and while that would make them slightly linient with the disection, they would still want to run test on his tail.

Also, since he had an obviously bright mind, torture to make him speak of his home and people would pop into the equation.

She showered and dressed quickly, tying her long blue hair into a ponytail. She smiled when she saw the – what was it? – Saiyan. He was already awake, doing one handed push ups in his cage.

_Good, _she thought. _Nothing worse than a lazy man. _

"Morning, Miss Briefs!" a cheerful voice said.

_Speak of the devil._

"Miyamoto," she replied. "Why're you so cheerful this morning?"

The balding man smiled, almost wickedly. "Oh, no reason," he said.

Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Ooookay…."

Vegeta was waiting patiently for her by time she'd gathered all her things.

"Hello!" she said, smiling. "I brought you your breakfast. Hungry?"

"Just give me the food, woman."

"Sheesh, someone's grumpy today." She said.

"Wouldn't you be angry if you were trapped in a glass box you couldn't break?" he snapped.

"Look, I already told you, the sooner you tell me about yourself, then I can let you out."

He snorted. "You don't want to know about me. You want to know about my species."

"Same thing isn't it?"

"No, woman, it is not. Obviously you've had your nose burning in those liquids too long."

"Well, would you like to tell me about yourself?"

"No. Nor would I like to tell you about my people." He said smartly.

"Shh!" she said. He raised an eyebrow. Miyamoto walked by the cage, talking with Nakamura. The two men looked at them as they passed. Bulma glared at them, and they walked faster. Once they were out of earshot, Bulma let out breath she didn't know she was holding, and stepped inside the cage.

"That was close," she said.

"Do you not wish them to hear me speak?" he asked.

"No. Once they know your mind is equivalent to that of a human, they won't be afraid to torture you into talking."

"I apreciate your concern, woman, despite my current circumstances, but you realize they could get about as close to hurting me as a rabbit could to a snake," he smirked. "Besides, my mind is much more highly developed and complex than a human's."

"Lovely analogy, on your part. But I meant through electrocution or something, not brute force."

"Electrocution?"

"Maybe you call it something different. It's like lightning, but we can channel it."

"You mean, Ki?"

"Ki? No, I don't mean Ki. What on Kami's green earth is Ki?"

"Good grief, woman, how does your species survive? It's energy pulled from a combination of your life force and your endurance. The stronger the person, the more powerful their Ki."

She looked confused. He sighed. "Like this," he said. He held out his hand, and a blue ball of light appeared above his palm. The light was soft, yet radiant, shining as bright as a flame from a star.

Bulma stared at it in awe. "Oh my…It's beautiful! Can I touch it?" she asked, her hand already reaching for it.

"I suppose, if you want to get your fingers burnt off."

She jerked her hand back. He chuckled. "I'm just kidding, woman. This is just light, not an attack. You may touch it."

She reached out and touched it. The blue light _was_ soft, leaving a fuzzy feeling on her fingertips. She drew back, stunned. "That's incredible," she breathed.

"Yes. We can use this power to fight, or to just like a path, or start out fires."

"Can you teach me?" she asked.

"No. Your Ki has gone far too long without training. It is joined with your life force now, and if you try to summon it, you will kill yourself." He answered bluntly.

She looked disappointed. "Oh. Well, what else can you do?"

"I believe you've already seen what I can do."

"Yes, you're very fast, and very strong. But is there anything else?"

He thought for a minute. "There's Ozaru," he said.

"What's that?"

"It's another form we take. A giant ape, if you will. We change when we see a full moon. But to avoid destroying this planet, as I'm sure a thousand giant apes would, we must stay inside during that night. Any who refuse to will be disposed of promptly."

"How can you dispose of someone when they're a giant ape?" she wondered.

He rolled his eyes. "Obviously, elites can control the state. It is the lower class that cannot."

"Can you control it?"

"Of course I can! I am the Prince, one of the highest ranked elites in existance. Unfortunately, that means that the Ozaru is bonded to me."

"What do you mean, bonded?"

"As in my animal instincts are sharper in this current form. The negative side to this is that while having these senses are wonderful, and a special gift, it also means that I have animal impulses."

"Such as?"

He moved suddenly, very swiftly. Bulma blinked, and yelped when she found him an inch from her face.

"Such as," he whispered, "if Ozaru wanted, I could eat your very flesh, right now, raw. I could become a killer in an instant, and you pathetic humans wouldn't stand a chance."

Bulma stared at him, gaping. Then she closed her open mouth, and spoke bravely.

"But you won't."

He chuckled. "And why wouldn't I?"

"Because you aren't that cruel."

"And you would know this how?"

"Your eyes. I don't see the eyes of a ruthless killer when I look at you. I see someone who's sad, lonely maybe. And maybe that could be because you are in a cage, but I don't think so. I think you were sad before I found you."

He sighed, sitting back on his heels, tail swinging. "You mean before _I_ found _you_. And why are you so fascinated with my eyes, woman?"

"_Bulma_. I don't know. They're so deep, I guess. Like they're hiding something. And they're so sharp. And dark, but not cruel. I don't think eyes like that belong to the person you're describing."

He looked at her, proving her point without realizing it. "You know nothing about me. How are you to say that I am hiding something, when all you know is my name?"

"I'm willing to learn, if you let me."

"You only want to know about my –"

"Culture, yes. I'm very well aware of what I want to know. But since you are a person, and you seem very interesting to me, I've decided to learn about **you**, not just your people."

He watched her carefully, his tail subconsciously wrapping itself around her wrist.

"Start with your questions then, woman."

"_Bulma. _ What's your last name?"

"My what?"

"Never mind. What's your favorite color?"

"Blue."

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"Your hair is blue," he said. Her eyes widened, then narrowed suspiciously.

"So?" she prompted.

"I've never seen blue hair. I like it."

Bulma felt herself blushing. "Uh, thanks. Most people think I've dyed it. But honestly, dyed hair is all hard. I couldn't stand it if my hair was –"

"Is it soft?" he interrupted.

"Come again?" she said, confused.

"Your hair. You said you didn't want it to be hard. Is it soft, then?" Vegeta asked.

Taken aback by his question, Bulma touched her hair. "I guess so, I mean, I try to make it soft."

He reached out his hand. "May I?" he asked politely.

Blushing again! What on earth was wrong with her all of a sudden? Even Yamcha hadn't made her blush like this. "I…I guess so."

"It was a yes or no question, woman."

"Yes then, since you're going to be so picky."

He took a few blue strands in his fingers, letting the hair slide across his palm.

"It's soft," he said in a low tone, dropping his hand.

"Thank you. What do you like to do for fun?" she questioned.

"Hunting. Or sparring. Things that test my stamina."

"Is that a Saiyan thing or a you thing?"

"A me thing. All Saiyans love battle. I just love to move." He said.

Bulma looked away. Suddenly, the nagging guilt of keeping him in such a confined space intensified.

"What about you, woman?"

She looked up suddenly, again startled by his question.

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Unless there is another blue haired woman I should know about."

"Um, I like science, of course. Making things are fun for me. I like shopping too, and pampering myself. I just got a manicure recently –"

"A mana-what?"

"I made my nails pretty. See?" she held out her hands, palms down. Her shiny red nails gleamed in the sunlight. Vegeta blinked, perplexed by this. He took her hand, sniffing at the strange red substance. His nose wrinkled.

"Why would you put that awful smelling gunk on your hands?" he asked.

"Because it's pretty. It doesn't smell bad to me." She answered.

"Your senses must be incredibly dull," he observed.

"I suppose compared to your's they are," Bulma said thoughtfully.

"What do you do for exercise, though? Don't you ever train?"

"Train? I'm a woman! I'm not supposed to have huge muscles! You can't wear dresses with giant muscles! I only work out enough to make sure I don't get fat. Hence my perfect figure," she said, winking.

"Hmph. Saiyan women are considered shameful if they are weak," he scoffed.

"Well, human men prefer to be their wife's defenders."

"A mateship is not equal if the woman cannot return the favor," he returned.

She was speechless at that one. "Do you at least run?" he tried.

"Yes, I jog a little when I'm mad. It helps me cool off." She said. Actually, she'd need a run yesterday.

"How fast?"

"I don't know…five miles an hour maybe?"

"That's all?" he seemed amazed.

"How fast are you?" she demanded.

"I can run at least four hundred miles an hour, if I'm being lazy."

"That's incredible." Awe filled her features.

"Maybe when you let me out, I'll carry you, and you can see what true speed is," he said considerately.

"I'd like that," she replied, smiling.

* * *

><p>Bulma grilled him with more questions for hours more, only stopping when someone passed by, during which time she made it appear as if she were only trying to communicate. He always sensed a presence before she did, thank goodness, and clammed up untill the person passed.<p>

He prefered venison to anything else, although catching bears was the most fun. He had a little brother whose name he refused to mention. Once, he'd caught a wild horse and ridden it. It was fun for a few minutes, but once he realized it was such a slow animal he abandoned it. He didn't care for reading, although if it was a truly good story he could bear to sit for a moment and read it. He loved climbing trees, or rather, leaping from them, although jumping off cliffs was much more exciting. He could swim faster than sharks in the gulf, and wrestled with crocodiles when there was no one to spare with.

They talked about themselves for days, learning everything, later just chatting, talking about nothing. She didn't talk to 18 much, which worried the blonde, and she all but ignored Krillin, who was normally out with Yamcah anyway. A week flew by, and already Bulma felt like she'd known him for years.

She smiled as she lay down on her bed, her eyelids heavy. She hadn't done a smidgen of work all week, nor did she care. Finding out all that amazing information about Vegeta was well worth it.

* * *

><p><em>Bzz. Bzz. Bzz.<em>

_Growl._

_Slam! Crash! _

The sounds were only hazy in the background. What woke Bulma up in the middle of the night was the loud battle cry, followed by a scream of pain.

_Vegeta!_

She leapt out of bed, still in her tiny pink nightgown. Barefooted, she flew towards the cage.

Miyamoto and Nakamrua were in the cage, wearing protective gear. Vegeta was in the corner, crouched like an animal ready to spring. But something was…different…about him.

He seemed tired. _Weak_ almost.

_I just love to move._

She knew automatically that even when aroused in the middle of the night, he could be alert and on his feet. Why was he…

What the hell had they shot him with?

"Get away from him!" she yelled. The men jumped, pushing a button on a control before jumping out.

"What the hell are you doing?" She demanded.

"Miss Briefs!" Nakamura rushed to explain. "We uh, put a control collar around his neck. We gave him sedatives at first, but he still woke up just as we got it on…thank Kami for these shields you made. Kudos, Miss Briefs; steel titanium is in fact indestructible, or he might have a broken my neck –"

"_I'M_ gonna break your neck if you don't shut up and tell me what you did to him!"

"Well, he lunged at us, so we shocked him –" Miyamoto started.

"You _**ELECTROCUTED**_ him?" She screeched.

"We uh…well he's very…I mean, he didn't respond to the first one so we had to turn up the voltage quite a bit –"

"You electructed him…_**TWICE**_? You imbeciles! Who gave you permission to do this? How dare you!" She yelled.

"Miss Briefs, please, we only –" Miyamoto tried to calm her, but she wasn't letting him get a word in.

"Listen up, morons! Vegeta is NOT an animal for you to be torturing! We are only keeping him in that cage to make sure he doesn't run away, NOT to experiment on him! We are trying to learn his behavior patterns!"

"Vegeta…?"

"Yes, Vegeta! His name is Vegeta! Now shut up and listen! You two should know better than to do ANYTHING without my permission! This company is MINE now! I am a grown woman, and this company is mine. I've come up with the best ideas since the lightbulb! You are not to enter his cage, you are not allowed to touch him, you are not allowed to give him sedatives, you are not to even FEED him unless I give you the go to! Do you understand me?"

"Of course, Miss Briefs," Nakamura said sullenly. "We'll be going now."

Nakamura went willingly, but Miyamoto shot the blue haired woman a glare before he left.

She didn't catch it, as she had already opened, entered, and closed the code-accessed door to the cage.

Vegeta was shaking, his body going haywire. _How many volts did they give him?_ Bulma wondered, her heart breaking.

She rushed to him, stopping short when he growled savagely. His dark eyes were wild, frightened. He'd only felt Ki blast before, and even Saiyan bodies could only handle so much raw electricity.

"Vegeta, it's okay. It's me," she said softly. He trembled, his body still jerking. Bulma reached out her hand again, slowly, and when he didn't…do anything, she gently placed her fingertips on his shoulder.

His skin was unnaturally hot, and damp with sweat. The tips of his hair were fuzzy, as was his entire tail. Bulma slowly reached for the collar. He jerked, then became still as she fumbled with the buckle, loosening it and sliding the awful contraption from around his neck. He quivered as the cool metal on the collar brushed his skin. Bulma's cheeks were wet as she looked at him. "Oh," she said, her voice breaking. _What have I done?_ She thought miserably. "Oh Vegeta, I'm so sorry," she whispered. He whimpered, involuntary tears rolling down his strong cheeks. Bulma hugged him as his head fell in her lap, slowly stroking his hair as his eyes turned back to normal, soft sobs raking his shoulders as he mourned his lost freedom.

* * *

><p>Bulma slept in the cage the rest of the night. Somewhere along the line, she'd fallen to the floor, the big Saiyan pressed against her, her fingers still entwined in Vegeta's soft, thick hair; his tail curled around her leg.<p>

She woke when the sun fell on her face. She shifted, standing without arousing the Prince, and left the chamber, storming into her father's room after changing her clothes.

"I'm letting him out," she announced, turning on the light. Mr. Briefs sat up groggily, wearing purple pajamas that matched his hair.

"What do you mean dear?" He asked.

"Vegeta. The monkey man. I'm letting him out."

"What? You can't do that! He's an archiological find, he's–"

"A person. And he doesn't deserve to be trapped in a cage. Did you know Miyamoto _electricuted_ him last night? With a freaking collar? Like he was a damn dog," she spat.

"Honey, we can get someone else to replace Miyamoto –"

"I don't want him replaced! I want this project abandoned. It's cruel. I don't know why I didn't see it before, but it's cruel. I'm setting him free."

"Bulma, dear, please reconsider," he begged.

"No. I'm letting him out, and we're leaving. Pack your things father. These are my capsules, and I can reconvert them without your say so if I please."

"WOMAN!" a deep voice yelled. "WOMAN, WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Vegeta!" she cried, running out of the house. Her father, hearing an unrecognized voice, followed her.

He was pacing back and forth in front of the cage like a lion against a cliff. Bulma snatched a belt and slung it around her waist, pushing the button that allowed her to walk through the glass. He grabbed her arms immediately, looking her over. "Did they hurt you?" he demanded.

"What? No! Are you okay?"

"I woke up and you were gone! I thought they took you or something…"

"They didn't take me; I went to talk to my father."

"My Kami, he can talk," Mr. Briefs said.

Vegeta didn't hear a word either of them said. He pulled Bulma into his arms, breathing in her scent.

She smelled like wildflowers. Like a whole valley of wildflowers.

"Oh…Vegeta? It's okay, I'm right here."

"I know."

Bulma pulled away from him, much to his surprise and disappointment. Her face was etched with sadness. "Vegeta, I'm going to set you free. You can go home now," she said.

He blinked. "What?"

"You can –"

"I heard what you said. Why are you letting me go?"

"Because you aren't happy. Someone like you should be free, not pent up in a cage." She took a shaky breath, and punched in the codes on her belt. The door opened, fresh air flooding in, filling his lungs.

He stepped out carefully, Bulma close behind him. He finally stopped at the edge of the little camp, pausing. He looked around,his body radiating with blue light, then vanished.

Tears formed in Bulma's cheeks, only to be blow away by a forceful wind.

Vegeta was running around the camp in circles, flying so fast the human eye couldn't track him. He wasn't going anywhere, didn't have anything in mind.

He

Just

Ran.

Yamcha, 18, Krillin, Miyamoto, and Nakamura rushed outside.

"Who let him out?" Miyamoto demanded.

"I did," Bulma snapped. "And if you have a problem with that, then you can go home."

Vegeta stopped suddenly, grinning at Bulma's shocked face before he leapt into the trees. He soared from branch to branch, his smile lighting up his serious face as he backflipped and landed softly in front of her.

Bulma smiled at him, blinking back tears. His thumb shot out, wiping them away.

"I'm free," he said.

"Yes, you are," Bulma said. "And I'm so sorry for taking that from you. You can go home now, Vegeta."

"Come with me."

She blinked. "What?"

"You wanted to see my home, my culture. Come with me and see it," he said, a hint of excitement in his voice. "You can see our technology, I can show you how to build some of it, I'll show you how I hunt and how we spar, and you can witness our great city, anything you want. And you can meet Kakarot's woman…Chi Chi, I believe her name is. She's a human like you."

"I'd love to see your city, Vegeta," Bulma said joyfully. He smiled, and turned his back to her.

"Get on," he said.

"You want me to ride on your back?" she sounded unsure.

"Can you run at four hundred miles an hour?" he asked.

"No…"

"Very well, then."

She climbed onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Her skin felt like it was covered in static from his blue aura, the hazy light sending a fluttery feeling to her stomach.

"Are you ready?" he asked. Bulma nodded nervously. "Hold on," he commanded.

Vegeta shifted forward, his leg muscles tensing as he pushed him into a smooth, long strided gait, and suddenly, they were flying.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I wanted to mention some bad news at the end of that, but it was such a cute ending I decided not too. **

**I just realized I haven't talked about Krillin, 18, or Yamcha at all. Well, I warned you there wouldn't be much about anything else. This is a B/V story, so I'm focusing on them.**

**What? You mean you thought it ended when he got out? You thought this whole thing was about our little Veggie-chan in a cage? Nooooo! That's mean! I can't keep Veggie-chan in a cage that long! Besides, he hasn't even become a man yet! What kind of person would I be if I ended this without letting dear little Veggie-kun become the ever fantastic Vegeta-senpai?**

**Review and let me know what you think!**

**~KimiruMai**


	5. Vegetasei

**A/N: Hello, dear peoples! Thanks so much for the reviews! Sorry it took so long, I've had major writers block.**

**Seriously though, calm down. I'm getting to all that stuff! I already planned the Saiyan reaction to Bulma, and Vegeta's not going to choose her for a while yet, so that shouldn't be a problem. As far as their relationship goes, Veggie doesn't have many friends, as we all know. So, Bulma's his first friend, minus Kakarot/Goku, and he wants to show her his home.**

**No big deal. Don't you like it when you have friends over?**

**Anyways, thanks for reading my story! It really brightens my day when I randomly check and see how many visitors I got! **

**Volley-chan: Thank you! I thought about that, but I feel rude when I don't reply to reviews! I thought of the Avatar thing later, after I posted it. Like I said before, more of Vegeta's actual culture is going to be revealed from here on, and they won't seem as animal anymore. **

**Firestorm1991: Thanks! I'm very glad to hear you're against animal cruelty! That's one of my MAJOR pet peeves!**

**Asrae: OMG thank you! I was worried about that! **

**Anny: from what I know, Vegeta's mother died giving birth, but yes, Table will be in the story.**

**FangandIggyRule: Thanks! He'll be very cheerful for the first part of this, but obviously still arrogant.**

**Cara2012: Thanks! Keep reading!**

**Vegetabeatkakarott: Thanks! Yes, I'm incredibly unique XD**

**Disclaimer: Ya…I'm 16. Not Akira Toriyama, obviously.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: Vegeta-sei<strong>

On any other person, Bulma would have been bouncing around like she was a ping pong ball.

Not on Vegeta's back, though.

His gait was so smooth and perfect, it felt like she was gliding. Eventually, the wind began stinging her eyes, but she didn't close them. It was totally worth it to see the flying colors.

"Why are you crying, woman?" he asked. She barely heard him from the wind in her ears.

"I'm not! The wind is getting in my eyes!"

"Then the logical thing to do would be to close them," he replied.

She would have smacked him if she wasn't clinging to his shoulders for dear life.

Bulma's eyes widened as she saw a hazy cliff appearing up ahead. "Vegeta!" she shrieked. He was going way to fast to stop in time! Shouldn't he have known this was here?

Vegeta completely ignored her and kept running.

_Oh Kami, he's going to kill us!_ Bulma screamed mentally.

He straightened his body as he leapt gracefully off the cliff side, arms pressed against his side. He grinned as the ground rushed up to meet them, with sharp, jagged rocks cluttering the earth below.

Bulma screamed.

At the last possible second, Vegeta pulled up, soaring a hundred feet above the cliff they'd just jumped off of. He turned, whirling so she could see the view.

Bulma opened her eyes and peeked over his broad shoulders. "You…You're flying!" she cried.

He chuckled. "Why, yes, I am. Wonderful observation, woman."

"But that isn't possible!" she objected.

"As I recall, you thought having a tail was impossible too," he said thoughtfully. "All I'm doing it pushing my Ki underneath me. You'd think I've got wings or some other nonsense from your reaction."

_I'm never going to get used to this, _Bulma thought.

"Would you like to see how fast I can go?" Vegeta asked.

"Umm, you run fast enough. Can we fly slowly, please?" She asked.

Sigh. "You have no sense of adventure, woman," he said, exasperated.

"I do so!" she protested. "I came out in the Void, for crying out loud, got lost, found a man with a tail, and now I'm in the air on his back! If that's not adventurous then I don't know what is!"

He smirked, showing his sharp canines. "Obviously, you've never seen a Saiyan run wild, or you would truly know the meaning of adventurous, Woman."

"_Bulma_," she said. "And of course I haven't! You're the only Saiyan I've ever seen!"

"Touché. You're lucky, _Bulma_. Normally, we don't have first time viewers at all, and when we do, they normally don't get to see someone as good looking as me," he teased.

"What?"

"Unless I no longer possess the ability to reminisce, you quite bluntly declared me handsome, and I feel I should warn you that handsomeness is not a trait that Saiyan's are all blessed with," he said, somewhat sympathetically.

Bulma's cheeks burned. "Of course not! Every race has it's ugly and it's beautiful –"

"Oh contraire, woman, I have seen entire species who happen to have quite foul appearances, simply because they were created that way. You haven't seen ugly until you've met an Ice-jin, or one of their mutants," he stated. "Now, woman, might I ask which of those two alternatives you've selected me to represent?"

She blushed furiously, glaring at him. He was awfully cheerful now that he was out, which was expected since he'd just escaped captivity, but normally when she'd discussed things with him, he hadn't been so arrogant, so blunt.

It was nice though, that he'd opened up to her. Bulma had always sensed that arrogance about him; that regal pride and demeanor that practically screamed "Prince". Now, she supposed, he was no longer holding back. She hadn't noticed it before, but the Saiyan Prince had built another wall around himself when he was in that box. That wall had been tall, thick, as if it had been made of brick, or some other material of that nature, and yet it had been almost invisible. And even though he had slowly taken out a few bricks so she could take a peek in a see him, what she'd seen was nothing compared to this.

Undeniably, he'd torn the entire wall down, and was quickly letting her see the rest of him.

"Well? I'm waiting woman," he prompted.

She went back to blushing. "Why does it matter?" she asked, trying to avoid the questions.

"I am a Prince," he said simply. "It is in my nature to know what class someone has placed me in."

"Damn Prince."

He chuckled, remembering that he'd said the same thing to her the first time they'd spoken. "That is not a sufficient answer, woman," he returned.

"Fine then, you're hideous," she stated, trying to drop the subject.

He chuckled again. "What's so damn funny?" Bulma demanded.

"You contradict yourself quite often, little onna. I would like to comprehend which of your opinions you are going to select," he smirked.

"Just shut up and fly," Bulma muttered.

He complied, but the arrogant smirk didn't disappear from his face. He was obviously pleased with himself that he'd backed her into a corner. Vegeta had a knack for making people speechless. It was tremendously amusing.

He flew slowly, gradually gaining speed before Bulma screeched at him to slow down. A few minutes later, he sped up again, only to have that noisy harpy screaming in his sensitive ears. Finally, he gave up and began running again, his bare feet barely touching the ground as he shot forward.

The flying colors were magnificent, and again Bulma found her eyes open and watering as she stared in wonder. To be able to run this fast…

What leisure.

The journey only took them fifteen minutes, but at the speed they were going, that was expected. _No wonder we couldn't find anything,_ Bulma thought. _It's so far away; we might as well have been looking for Atlantis under boulders. _

Vegeta stopped abruptly, causing Bulma to slam into his back. "Ow!" she yelped.

He sighed. "What is it now woman?" he asked.

"Your back is like a freaking brick wall, that's what!" she exclaimed.

He laughed. "I believe that's called muscle, onna. If you'd train you wouldn't have been hurt. Besides, we're here."

Bulma looked around. All she saw were trees, vines, and…oh yeah, more trees.

"I don't see anything," she said.

He rolled his eyes. "Of course you don't. Do you honestly think we'd let our kingdom just sit out in the open? The Ice-jins would find us easily."

"Well, how come you can see it?" she demanded, sliding off his shoulders.

"Because," he specified, "we have technology that allows our entire city to become invisible and intangible. I however, have been inside. Therefore, my DNA has been inserted into the programming, allowing me to see the entrance and pass through."

"Oh," Bulma said. _Like the cage…but so much more complex, and on such a large scale! It must take so much energy! And yet he doesn't know what electricity is? _"Um, how do you power that?" she asked. He glanced behind his shoulder at her.

"We programmed it to receive its power by drawing on the carbon in the earth. Once it has used all the power it can from the carbon, the machine returns the substance to earth in order for it to be replenished."

Bulma felt her breath leaving her lungs as she gazed at him in awe. "That's incredible," she whispered, thoroughly impressed.

He grinned. "We originally collected a bit of ki from each person every week to power it, but it made our race week. Later, it was changed to carbon dioxide as a gas fuel, but it was killing the plants, so I came up with this."

"Well. Someone's a little smarter than I gave him credit for," she remarked.

"You'd better not be insinuating that you thought I was imprudent," he glared.

Bulma snickered. "No, I knew you were smart. I just didn't figure you were a genius like yours truly," she said, pleased with herself.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. _If all human women are this way, I feel extreme remorse for their unfortunate male species._ "Come, little onna. The city awaits."

He took a step forward, slowly, gracefully. Bulma watched in amazement as his body shimmered, then disappeared. She stepped to where she'd last seen him, but felt nothing.

"_Are you coming, Woman?"_ a voice echoed.

"I'm trying!" Bulma cried, frustrated.

He chuckled, the echo slowly turning more…tangible than it had been as his upper half appeared out of nowhere. Vegeta extended his hand, inviting her inside. She took it, and followed him in, finding that, when in contact with the prince, she could walk through the gate.

When they entered, Bulma found herself in front of another gate, this one visible. The stones were a sandy brown, looking relatively new, and yet they had an aged feel about them, as if the material was very old. The walls were thick, strong, and from what Bulma could see, they had no door.

Vegeta, releasing her hand, cupped his hands around his mouth. "Otvárať dvere!" he shouted. [1]. A hooded figure appeared at the top of the gate.

"Prince Vegeta!" the figure cried. "Vitaj doma, môj budúci kráľ!"

"What did he say?" Bulma asked.

"It's our native language," Vegeta replied. "He said, 'welcome home, my future king'. Remind me to get you a translator. I don't like repeating things."

The stones flickered, and the entrance appeared. The city was surrounded by many walls, each one opening at the Prince's command. Finally, they were at the center.

It was the most beautiful city Bulma had ever seen.

Some of the buildings were made of the same material as the gates had been, although patches of tech appeared every few stones. Others were the opposite, mostly tech with a few stones. The patches shone through the main materials much like a body covered in torn clothes, but none hanging limp. Each structure was curved in its own way, some straighter than others, but none perfectly straight. Some were domes, some were shaped like empty circles; some were like sky scrapers but curved unnaturally, and yet the stones were not choppy. The surface of each was perfectly smooth.

Bulma shielded her eyes. The city was so…

Bright.

"It's beautiful," she breathed.

Vegeta smiled. "I know," he said proudly. "Vegeta-sei is the most striking city you'll ever see."

"Vegeta-sei?" Bulma asked. "They named the city after you?"

His smile disappeared almost immediately. "Long before I was born, our King began searching for a planet. The Saiyans had no home, so they conquered a beautiful star, with a red sky and two suns," he paused, taking a small breath before continuing. "He called it Vegeta-sei, after his newborn son. After that, the first born of the royal family was named Vegeta. In turn, my father was named Vegeta, as was his father before him, and so on."

Bulma's gaze softened, noticing how his shoulders had sank. "Did you live there, before you came here?" she asked gently.

He sighed. "We came to this planet when I was five years old. I don't remember anything, except that red sky, and its two beautiful suns." He brightened suddenly, if not faintly, and said, "Enough of this. Dwelling in the past can only make a person weak. Come, woman, so you may feast your eyes on my home."

She nodded eagerly, following him.

As they walked, Saiyans began appearing on the streets. Their heights were just as scrambled as the human race; Saiyans were not specifically tall nor short, each one unique. Mostly all wore bodysuits, although the designs varied, and each was comprised of stretchy, blue fabric. Some wore white gloves, and almost all wore white boots with golden tips. Their chests were covered with a gold and white chest plate, and connected to their waist or around their shoulders, they wore white strips of the armored material. On these strips, there were various numbers of golden oblongs, which Bulma assumed signified rank. Every Saiyan had black hair, which stood on end, some successfully, some not. Brown, fuzzy tails hung either loose or curled around their waist. Their eyes were dark, like Vegeta's, and each person was well built, just as he described.

Vegeta had been right though. Not each Saiyan was gifted with natural beauty, though some were. They weren't ugly by any means, just not so much as she'd daydreamed about. But this mattered little. Bulma was exploring an alien city, not judging looks.

Within seconds, at least a hundred Saiyans were swarming around Vegeta, and Bulma found herself being shoved and pushed in the thick crowd. Vegeta grabbed her wrist, pulling her along with him, continuing on as if no one was there.

Bulma watched him carefully, studying the people's reactions to the Prince. Each person shoved and pushed, trying to get closer to him. Once they'd gotten close enough, they each touched his shoulders, their hands roaming over his torso before they respectfully backed away, giving him space.

Interesting. Vegeta had been intrigued by the sight of a blue haired woman, and yet these people completely ignored her, only wishing to be near their Prince.

_They adore him,_ Bulma observed wonderingly. She figured the people would love their Prince, simply because of whom he was, but they danced around him as if he were a savior, their sole protector. They were so proud of their Prince, so overjoyed by being in his presence.

_He must be a wonderful ruler,_ she thought.

Finally, once the crowd had cleared, Bulma began asking questions.

"Why did they do that?" she asked.

"Do what?"

"Just…run up and touch you like that. Is there a specific reason, or is that just a greeting custom?" she elaborated.

"Oh. No, only royalty receives such attention. Our life force, or the base of our Ki, is in our center. So when they touch me, they only touch my torso, thereby signifying that my Ki is strong and respectable, and they will stay loyal to me so long as my Ki exist," he replied.

"Oh." She was silent for a moment. Then, "Why are they all wearing those blue clothes?"

"It's armor. We always wear our armor in case of an attack," he said, still walking.

"Then why are you walking around in deerskin pants and….well, just pants?"

He snorted. "I was hunting before you captured me. Do you truly think we would hunt wearing such bright colors?"

Bulma blinked. Well, of course, he'd been hunting. That's why he had his bow with him. Speaking of that, he'd left it on the forest floor when he'd crashed, unconscious.

Oh well. He must have hundreds.

"So are animals not color blind then?" she inquired.

He snorted again. "Of course not. What gave you that idea?"

Well. That must be true, or human hunters wouldn't camouflage themselves.

"Does all Saiyan's hair stand up like yours?" she asked.

"Our hair stands up, yes, but if it's too long then it may cascade down our shoulders. Most Saiyan hair is spikey, just because our Ki makes it stand on end. Our species' hair never grows, and maintains the same shape we are born with for life."

Bulma opened her mouth to ask something else, but a small rustling interrupted her. She jumped, wondering what kind of creature would come out from around the corner they'd just passed. Vegeta just crouched on one knee, peering into the shadows.

A pretty, tiny Saiyan girl peeked around the corner, her dark eyes flashing with curiosity. Her blue clothes were dirty and shredded, and her long hair was tangled, though it still looked silky. She stayed behind the corner of the ally she hid in, a small squeak escaping her lips when she realized she'd been seen.

Vegeta smiled warmly at the child. "Come here, little _dieťa_. It's alright." [2] The little girl hesitated, gathering her nerves before running to him, practically bounding into his arms.

"_Vitaj doma_! A long life to you, my Prince!" she cried before leaping backwards gracefully, bowing in respect. [3]

_Do all Saiyans speak English?_ Bulma wondered.

Vegeta laughed. "Thank you, little _dievča_. What is your name, child?" [4]

She puffed up her chest proudly. "Fasha," she replied.

He nodded. "Fasha. 'Fearless Warrior Girl', if I'm not mistaken. A fitting name."

The little girl smiled, flashing her sharp teeth, which Bulma also noted that most Saiyans had. "Yes, my Prince! My mother chose it!" a flash of sadness appeared across the little girl's features, although she tried to hide it.

Vegeta saw it, frowning. "Are you orphaned, child?" he asked.

She sniffled, a tear threatening to slide down her cheeks, but she brushed it away, determined to be strong like her name implied. "Yes," she whispered softly. "My mother died giving birth, and my father and older brother were killed in battle. I've been alone for three years now."

Bulma's heart broke for the child. She was so young! Fasha couldn't have been older than seven!

Vegeta's eyes flashed with sympathy. "My mother died that way as well, child. How old are you?"

"I'm twelve," she said.

Twelve. _Twelve! But she looked so young! Saiyans must age differently._ A thought jolted Bulma. _How old is Vegeta then? _

Vegeta smiled again, his deep voice soft and gentle. "Would you like to come with me to the palace, Fasha? I know a duchess who recently lost her daughter. She is a kind female, and I'm sure she would love to take you in," he suggested.

The little girl's face lit up. "Oh, thank you, my Prince!" she cried. He smiled, and extended his hand to the child. The little girl took it, and he hoisted her onto his shoulders. Fasha squealed, having never ridden on anyone's shoulders since her father and brother were gone, and especially not a Prince.

Bulma smiled at the Saiyans, their tails flickering happily. Vegeta hadn't struck her as a child-sensitive person, and the realization was unbearably cute.

They continued their walk for a while as Vegeta gave her a tour of the city, with Fasha pitching in at little details he neglected to mention.

Suddenly, the little girl blurted, "Prince Vegeta, is this woman the one you've chosen?"

Vegeta and Bulma both blushed at her blunt question. "No, Fasha, Bulma is just a friend of mine," he answered.

"Oh. So where were you this past week or so?"

_Does everyone know I was gone?_ He wondered. "I was…um…

"He was helping me with an experiment," Bulma said fearlessly. "I'm a scientist, and Vegeta is practically a genius, so he was helping me."

"Oh! You must be awfully smart if you didn't get lost," Fasha said. "Or eaten. Are you a human?" the little girl questioned.

_Eaten?_ "Uh, yes, I am. How did you know that?" Bulma asked.

"Well, only Chi Chi is as little as you are, so I just figured you were. I've never seen blue hair on a Saiyan either."

"This Chi Chi must be very popular for you to know about her," Bulma acknowledged.

"Kakarot is the only Saiyan to ever bring in a human female, although we have mated with other races before. Because of this, he and his little harpy are about as famous as I am," Vegeta said, surprisingly cheerful. Maybe because of the little girl's naturally happy demeanor.

"Oh! Look, the palace!" Fasha cried, leaping of the Prince's shoulders. She climbed onto a rooftop to get a better view. Vegeta picked Bulma up and followed.

The palace was incredible. It was abundant in both altitude and width, with tall, stone structures, possibly the only straight towers Bulma had seen so far. To put things simply, it looked like an enormous, five hundred story house with multiple pillars around it, both round and squared, each one a drastically different height, and in no particular pattern from what she could see. Beautiful forest and mountains loomed in the background, adding to the majestic look. Take that image and times it by a thousand, and that couldn't even do the palace justice.

"Welcome to my home," Vegeta said softly. He smiled as he gazed at it.

Bulma was absolutely speechless. "Wow," she finally choked out. Vegeta opened his mouth to reply, then shut it when a voice interrupted him.

"Hey! Vegeta! What are you doing up there?" someone shouted. Almost everyone on the street looked up then, cheering Vegeta's name as the Saiyan Prince rolled his eyes, leaping off the high rooftop before Bulma could protest.

"Where have you been?" the man who shouted asked.

"None of your business, Kakarot," he replied.

Kakarot grinned. "Okay. Well anyway, your father is really pissed at you. He was about to blow a casket when he found out you disappeared."

Vegeta sighed. "I'm well aware of this, Kakarot."

Kakarot was taller than Vegeta, with spikey hair that flamed out from his head in all directions. His blue Saiyan uniform was over shadowed by a bright orange gi that accented his naturally jovial, boyish features.

"Who are you?" he asked, referring to the blue haired woman.

"Bulma Briefs, smartest woman in the world," she said proudly. "Nice to meet you."

He grinned at her exhibition. "Name's Kakarot. But you can call me Goku if you want. Almost everyone does, 'cept Vegeta."

Bulma noticed he hadn't once called him 'Prince Vegeta', so they must be good friends. "That sounds like a human name," she commented.

He grinned again, his boyish charm already working its unintentional magic. "Yeah, my life mate gave it to me," he boasted.

"She's the human I told you about," Vegeta said.

"Oh! I'd love to meet her," she said warmly.

Goku's banana sized grin never left his face for a second. "Great, just what I need, a human woman for Chi Chi to give frying pan lessons to," he chuckled.

"What?" Bulma asked, confused.

Vegeta laughed. "That harpy of his always smacks him with a frying pan when she gets angry at him. I'm almost positive he's received extensive brain damage, and I personally find it quite amusing."

Goku laughed with his friend. "You just wait, Vegeta. One day she'll smack you for eating everything out of my fridge."

"I'd like to see her try."

Goku chuckled. "Well, come on. I'm sure His Royal Highness has already been notified that you're here."

Vegeta grumbled, his tail tugging on Bulma's arm as he entered the castle, Fasha in pursuit.

The guards stood straight, saluting him. "Hail, Prince Vegeta of Vegeta-sei!" they said.

He nodded at them. "Stand down," he said. They bowed respectfully before letting he and his friends pass.

The corridor was long and windy, with at least a hundred rooms, and that was just on one floor. Finally, they came to two grand double doors, which the guards opened promptly upon seeing Vegeta.

"Vstúpiť, Prince Vegeta," a booming voice said. _Enter, Prince Vegeta._Bulma stared at the man sitting on the throne.

He was the spitting image of Vegeta, or rather, Vegeta was the spitting image of him. The man had a beard and mustache, giving him an older look, and his flame hair matched his son's, although the Prince's hair was darker. He wore a blue suit, much like everyone else, although his white chest plate had a symbol that bared a resemblance to an anchor on his right pectoral. Golden shoulder spikes were attacked to his armor, and to those was the classic, regal red cloak.

"Otče, som sa vrátil," Vegeta announced. _Father, I have returned._

The older man glared at him. "Som si dobre vedomí. Kde si bol bývať?" he demanded. _I am well aware of this. Where have you been residing?_

Vegeta paled, not willing to tell his father he'd been captured and detained by a human woman. Bulma, sensing his dilemma, nudged him. He jumped, as if her contact had suddenly given him a solution. "Ja som bol lov, a modrý vlasy žena spadla do diery. Pomohol som jej to a neskôr pomáhal jej s vedeckými experimentmi," he said. _I was hunting, and the blue haired woman fell into a hole. I helped her out of it and later assisted her with scientific experiments._

He thought that excuse would get him out of hot waters. He was wrong.

The King slammed his fist on the armrest of his throne. "Najmä sa ti nebude komunikovať s nimi!" _I specifically told you not to interact with them!_

Bulma jumped at his harsh tone, fear gripping her when she saw Vegeta cower slightly under his father's steely gaze.

"Nemohol som ju tam len tak nechať! Ty ma naučil rešpektovať život nevinného, inak by som nikdy dobrý vládca. Teraz ste mi povedať inak?" Vegeta cried, straightening his shoulders. _I couldn't just leave her there! You taught me to respect the life of the innocent, or I would never be a good ruler. Now you are telling me otherwise?_

King Vegeta growled savagely. "Vráťte sa do štvrte okamžite a zostanú tam, kým som vám povolenie k odchodu," he ordered. _Return to your quarters and remain there until I give you permission to leave._

Vegeta returned his scowl. "A môj hostia?" he requested. _And my guests?_

"Dajte ich do apartmán pre hostí vedľa vás." _Put them in the guest suite next to yours. _

Vegeta nodded gruffly before stalking out the door and up a long staircase, Bulma and Fasha in pursuit. Goku waved to them, retreating to train.

"What just happened?" Bulma asked, not understanding a word of the previous conversation.

Vegeta stopped and sighed. "To put it simply, I disobeyed him, and now I'm grounded."

"Grounded?" Bulma cried. "You're a grown man! He can't ground you!"

He flinched. "No, onna, I am not."

"What?"

"Until I have chosen a woman and completed the rites of passage, I will not be a man. I am twenty one years old, and yet I am still a boy. A child," he spat.

Bulma put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Save your pity. I don't need it, nor do I wish for it," he snapped. He pointed to a door across the hall from his room. "There is where you're going to stay. I don't know how long it's going to be before I can leave my room, so I'll send servants up with fresh clothes or anything else you may need." Vegeta glanced around, then removed a golden ring with a red stone from his middle finger, giving it to Bulma.

"This is my royal signature. Put it on that chain around your neck if it doesn't fit. If anyone gives you trouble, show them the ring and tell them I said to obey you," he commanded.

Bulma took it, nodding. "Thank you, Vegeta. I'm sorry you got in trouble because of me," she offered.

He muttered something unintelligible and slipped into his room.

Bulma ushered Fasha into their own room, where two fancy canopy beds had somehow already been set up. The room was large, with a luxurious bathroom, a large vanity, and a walk-in closet.

Good. She was in desperate need of a bubble bath.

"Miss Bulma?" Fasha said shyly.

"Yes?"

"Are you sure the Prince hasn't chosen you?"

Bulma blushed. "I'm sure, Fasha. What made you think he had?"

Fasha giggled. "Well, I don't really think he knows it, but he looks at you an awful lot, Miss Bulma. I imagine he thinks your hair is pretty."

The crimson slashed on Bulma's cheeks darkened, but she smiled. She hadn't seen Vegeta watching her. She'd been too busy watching _him._

"I think he just finds the color strange," Bulma said in a weak attempt to defend herself.

The tiny Saiyan girl just giggled. "Sure, Miss Bulma, sure."

Bulma took off the chain that was around her neck. She slipped off the locket Yamcha had given her, (which she had neglected to remove) and smiled as she chucked it out the window, sliding Vegeta's ring into place.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, it's like 1:00 in the morning, and I'm super tired, but I really wanted to finish, so I might have to re-upload this later. Oh well. **

**I KNOW, major mixing of languages (like woman and onna). I like it like that. I used Slovak as the Saiyan language, for those who were wondering. It sounded cool in my head, so don't ask why. Vocab!**

**[1] Open the doors!**

**[2] Child**

**[3] Welcome home!**

**[4] Girl**

**So. Obviously Vegeta has a few issues with his father. They don't hate each other, honestly. Things just got rough after his mother's death. Speaking of which, Tarble will be introduced in the next chappie. **

**Little romance starting to heat up! Okay, it's not much, but eh, you know. I just realized I forgot to mention the bad news I was talking about earlier, but I couldn't find anywhere to put it just yet. Maybe next one?**

**REVIEW PLEASES! HUGGSS!**

**~KimiruMai**


	6. Hunters

**A/N: Helloo! Again! I've finally gotten over my extreme writer's block! Aren't you guys happy? This one's really long, so enjoy yourselves. WOAHHHH 132 views the other day! THANKIE! As I promised, Tarble is in this chappie. Thanks so much for the reviews! You guys are totally snowballing my ego! Keep it up! XD**

**FireStorm1991: Thanks! That's great! Sounds like an awesome job!**

**Gohanroxme: Haha, no, I'm not that clever. Wouldn't that be cool if I had though? XD**

**Preciousblue: Thank you! Hope you like this chappie!**

**FangandIggyRule: Thank you! I really wanted Veggie to be good with kids, cuz I hated how he and Trunks were never that close till Bra came along, so here's Fasha! (Who's actually a real Saiyan character that was killed by Frieza, poor thing.)**

**Cara2012: Thanks! Keep reading!**

**Dbzfan777: Thanks! That's what I was going for!**

**Anny: I'm sorry! I hate cliffies too! Lol unless I'm writing them. Thanks for reviewing!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: Hunters<strong>

Four days after they'd arrived in Vegeta-sei, Bulma awoke in the middle of the night to loud grunts and banging. She glanced over at Fasha; the little Saiyan was out cold, snoring softly. Using logic to make an educated guess on who was the source of the noise, she climbed out of bed.

Slipping into her new slippers and silk robe, she gently knocked on Vegeta's door. A grunt sounded from inside.

"It's me," she said softly.

The door creaked open, revealing an angry looking Saiyan Prince, who'd exchanged his deerskin leggings for blue shorts. "I know who it is, onna. I can smell you."

She glared at him and shoved her way into his room. "You better not be insinuating that I stink."

He looked away as he shut his door quietly. "No," he muttered. "But there is no one else on the premise that smells of wild flowers."

Bulma smiled. "Good. Because I love that smell and I'm not changing my perfume."

He scowled. "You aren't supposed to be in here," he grunted.

"Says who?" Bulma demanded.

"My father."

"Oh contraire, dear Prince. I asked Fasha exactly what he said, and she told me he only told you to go to your room and stay there. He said nothing about _me_ being confined to my room, nor did he say that your room was off limits." She grinned, clearly pleased with her analysis.

Vegeta sighed. She should have been a lawyer or something instead of a scientist.

Although, he probably wouldn't have met her if that was the case.

"What on earth did you do to your room?" Bulma exclaimed, sitting on his bed. Vegeta's princely suite was in shambles. His headboard was broken, there were holes in the walls, and the poor unfortunate floorboards had fist prints in them.

"I wreaked havoc on it, what else?" he grumbled.

"No duh. I meant why?"

"I was bored."

"And angry, apparently." She remarked.

Bulma jumped as his fist slammed into the wall again. "He has no right," Vegeta hissed. "No damn right, to keep my locked away like this, just because I didn't do as he asked. I am the future King of Vegeta-sei and more importantly, I am a young adult. It's high time he started letting me make my own decisions!"

She decided not to tell him that his decision had led to his captivity. "I'm sorry. This is my fault. I should have let you go earlier," she said softly.

He growled, folding his arms as he plopped on the bed beside her. "You're damn right, you should have."

Bulma looked away from his piecing gaze, ashamed. He softened almost immediately, and sighed.

"You know I don't blame you, woman. I would have gotten into some type of trouble with or without your help," he said.

She offered a weak smile. "I take it you're publically known for mischief," she said.

He smirked. "You have no idea," he grinned.

She sighed. "I just feel bad. I mean, you just got out of a cage **I** put you in, and now you're under solitary confinement because of me."

He chuckled. "There's a noisy little harpy in my room. I don't think this counts as solitary confinement."

Bulma smacked him in the shoulder. He laughed and stretched out long ways on the bed, exhaling as he placed his hands behind his head. He stared at the ceiling, lying perfectly still. Bulma glanced away, finding herself blushing. He sighed, closing his eyes briefly before opening them again, his tail thumbing lazily against the bed. "Do you ever feel like you could do so much more with yourself, but you can't because the people you're doing it for aren't ready for change?" he asked softly.

Bulma gave a thin smile. "I believe we've had this conversation already," she said.

"Yes, but then we were discussing the actions of a scared-faced fool. Now we are speaking of a Saiyan King."

"Hm. Can't say I have, in that case."

He exhaled, hot breath escaping from his lips. "I could do so much for this city, but anything I ever come up with, he dismisses it."

Bulma's heart sank. "Tell me some of your ideas, Prince Vegeta."

He propped himself on his elbow, rolling onto his side to face her. "I would have all our old buildings remodeled, even the homes of the poor, and I would lower the taxes, so they could afford it. I would build a machine that would convert all that we waste into new materials. I would allow more of the jungle to grow in our city, so the children could have somewhere to play. And I would gather all the little orphans like Fasha, and find new homes for them."

She was speechless for a moment. Then she said, "I think those are marvelous ideas, Prince Vegeta. Why your father wouldn't consider them is beyond me."

Vegeta was quiet for a minute. "He says we can't afford to lower taxes, and new buildings cannot exist without old ones. He says such a machine is impossible, and the letting the jungle flourish would mean it wouldn't be a city."

Bulma considered this. They were all valid points, although they weren't very good dismissals. "What about the orphans?" she asked.

"They'll be stronger for all the hardships they endure."

Bulma was roused into silence again. Finally, she asked, "Is that because of your mother?"

Vegeta scowled, sitting up sharply. "My father is a coward," he spat. "When I was born, he wasn't even there. Mother gave him grief about that for years. Even though my birthing was painful enough, she was determined to give me a playmate. I was eight when Tarble was born. I was there when she died. And my father? He was nowhere to be found. I stood there and held her hand while she her life force weakened, and he hid like a coward because he wasn't strong enough to watch her die."

Bulma's face twisted into a combination of emotions. Anger. Sadness. Pity.

Vegeta took a deep breath before continuing. "He's always resented me for having the strength he didn't." He gave an ironic snort. "No, he was never mad at Tarble. He hardly speaks to the kid, but he never yells at him when he does. No, he just takes out his hatred on me, for being there in his place."

Bulma put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I don't think he hates you, Vegeta." She said.

He scoffed. "And you would know this how?"

"I'm a people person," she said. "And when he was talking to you, he looked worried to me."

"Worried." A statement more so than a question.

"Yes. I think under all that anger, he was actually concerned that you'd gone off and hurt yourself."

He snorted. "Sure, Onna," he said sarcastically.

"I mean it! Have you ever disappeared for that long before without explanation?"

He looked at his feet. "No..." he muttered.

"Exactly. And fathers don't appreciate it when their offspring disappear for long periods of time."

Vegeta sighed, still not believing her but knowing that continuing the argument would be pointless.

Bulma hesitated. "Vegeta?"

"Hm?"

"Why didn't you tell them what I did?"

He seemed taken aback by her question. "What?"

"Why didn't you tell them that I captured you? You had a perfect opportunity to put me through the same things I put you through, and even what Miyamoto and Nakamura put you through if you wanted. Why didn't you?"

He stared at her. "Why would I?" he asked.

"Because you deserve to! I should be…punished, not visiting your city like a welcome tourist!"

He sighed. "Don't be ridiculous, Little Onna. You putting me in a cage is no different than me being locked in my room. As for those idiots, I'd say the look on their faces when you yelled at them was satisfying enough."

She blinked. "You saw that?"

"Well, my mind was still a jumble at the time, and I couldn't focus at all, but looking back, I can still remember it."

Bulma felt heat crawling over her cheeks. Obviously he remembered when they'd both fallen asleep on the floor, but that would also mean he remembered when she held him like she had.

"Which reminds me, I should apologize for growling at you," he said.

"What? You can't apologize for that!" she cried.

He smirked. "And why can't I, Little Onna?"

"_Bulma. _Because you'd just been electrocuted! Of course you wouldn't have wanted anyone near you –"

"Actually, I was a bit anxious about where you were. I figured they must have killed you or some other form of torture for them to be attacking me, the fools. That knock-out gas of theirs was pretty affective, for about five minutes anyway. So I was quite relieved when I saw you, despite evidence to the contrary."

Bulma blinked. Well. As reserved as Vegeta was, he was being surprisingly open.

The Saiyan Prince yawned. "Well, I appreciate you coming and saving my belongings from destruction, but I'm going to sleep. Which means _you_ have to get out."

Back to arrogant.

Bulma glared at him. "Yes, Your Royal Highness," she mocked. He scowled, and she chuckled.

Just as she stepped into the hall, a sudden thought occurred to her. "Vegeta, people call this place the Void because anyone who ever entered has disappeared. Do you know anything about that?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, I'm sure they were all killed. They might have been stupid enough to step into a bog, and died from either drowning in quicksand or being torn apart by crocodiles. Most likely, though, they were hunted and eaten by the more common predators."

Chills ran up her spin as she suddenly remembered her father, Yamcha, Krillen, and 18 were in those very woods right now. Miyamoto too, and Nakamura, but they weren't necessarily priorities. "Predators such as…"

He shrugged again. "Cougars, panthers, cheetahs, bears, snakes. The usual. Nothing we Saiyans can't easily handle, mind you, but I'm sure you humans wouldn't last long, even with those guns of yours, and especially not if you were to get lost. You should be more careful, little Onna."

She swallowed. "It was you with the rope, wasn't it?"

He nodded.

Well that's just great. Now she felt worse. He'd helped her out of 'captivity', and she'd put him in it.

"Don't start, Woman," he growled, noticing the look on her face.

She grinned sheepishly. "I'm –"

"Don't –"

" – Sorry!"

He groaned, softly as to not rouse anyone else.

Bulma smiled. He was so self-reliant. "Any other predators I should know about?" she asked.

He grinned, flashing his sharp, pearly white teeth. "Me," he said.

Bulma paled then. He winked, stepping back into his room. "Good night, Little Onna," he said, shutting the door with a soft click.

Bulma blinked, shaking herself. To her horror, she found the corners of her mouth had lifted in an amused smile.

"Good night, Prince Vegeta," she murmured before tip toeing back to her own suite, listening to the Prince's soft laughter as she shut the door behind her.

* * *

><p>The next morning, after Bulma dressed, she sat at the vanity to brush through her long blue hair, curling the ends. Thank Kami for capsule makeup and hair supplies. Fasha had gotten up nearly two hours ago, at sunrise, as had everyone else in the palace. The servants had told the little girl to come downstairs for more clothing adjustments, as the child was preparing herself for her first and only growth spurt.<p>

She sighed, running the comb through her hair, a memory flashing in her mind.

_He took a few blue strands in his fingers, letting the hair slide across his palm. "It's soft," he said in a low tone. _

Bulma shook herself mentally. After such a recent breakup, there was no possible way that this man – no, this _boy_, could be stuck on her mind so much. It wasn't natural.

Right?

Running footsteps in the hallway caught her attention. She slipped the chain with the Prince's ring around her neck, stepping outside.

A teenaged boy was running towards her excitedly. Well, not really towards her, but in her direction. He had tan skin, though not as dark as Vegeta, though his hair was exactly the same shade of coal black.

Immediately, she knew this was Tarble. His resemblance to her Saiyan Prince was uncanny; from the tip of his flamed hair right down to his lithe body frame. His lips were pushed up in a genuine smile versus Vegeta's usual smirk, and his eyes were bright, more innocent than his elder brother's.

No, Vegeta was not innocent _at all._

Tarble was wearing basically the same thing as the king had when she first saw him, the only difference being that he had fewer golden oblongs on his shoulders.

The over-enthusiastic teenager stopped at the Prince's door, ignoring Bulma. The boy was practically bouncing with excitement as his fist pounded on the smooth metal. "Veggie!" the boy cried. "Vegeta, _otvorte!_ Open the door!"

Vegeta complied to the teenager's whims. His black, spikey mane was thoroughly combed through, which was surprising, considering how early it was.

Then again, he probably rose at daybreak too.

"What do you want, squirt?" he asked.

The boy hugged his brother, grinning. "I missed you! Where have you been? You were supposed to take me hunting this week!"

Vegeta smiled at his sibling. "I was –"

"Oh, never mind! Father says you can come out now! Come spar with me!"

_Cute, _Bulma thought. Obviously, Vegeta was the boy's idol. Tarble was so full of admiration for his big brother, he didn't really care where he'd been, or that the hunting trip had been postponed, if not canceled. All he wanted to do was spend time with his elder sibling.

"Hello," Bulma said, stepping forward. Both Saiyan's looked up.

"Who are you?" Tarble asked.

"Don't be rude, Squirt. This is my friend Bulma. Onna, this is my little bother," Vegeta said.

"You mean, Brother," Tarble pointed out.

"No, I meant bother."

Bulma giggled. "Nice to meet you! And I already knew you were Vegeta's little brother. You look almost exactly like him."

Tarble's face lit up. "Really?" he said eagerly.

Bulma laughed. "Yes, really. You're both very handsome Princes.

They both grinned, their sharp canines giving them a dangerous, animal look.

"Are you a human?" Tarble asked. "Because you remind me a lot of Kakarot's mate."

"Everyone says that," Bulma agreed, "Although I'm told our actual features are quite different."

"Have you hit Vegeta with a frying pan yet?" the boy asked.

Vegeta laughed. Bulma grinned. "No, not yet. Although, apparently once I meet this Chi Chi I will have an overwhelming desire too."

Tarble turned to his brother. "Have you chosen her already?" he interrogated bluntly.

Vegeta blushed. "No! She's just here touring the city! Just because I brought her here doesn't mean I've chosen her."

"Why not? She's pretty! And she has a Saiyan air to her too. And you wouldn't have brought her here if you didn't like her enough to either!"

Bulma laughed as the crimson slash on Vegeta's cheeks heated. "You Saiyan's are awfully blunt creatures, eh Vegeta?" she giggled.

"Hush, Onna," he said, avoiding her big blue eyes. "I'm going to go eat breakfast after I change. You're welcome to join us if you wish." With that, he stepped back into his room and shut the door.

Tarble grinned at her. "Veggie's such a bad liar," he said mischievously.

Bulma blushed. "I thought he was a pretty good liar," she admitted.

The miniature Vegeta's smile widened. "Yes, but considering you thought he was a good liar only signifies you knew he was lying," he pointed out.

"Touché."

Vegeta opened the door again, already dressed. Bulma sucked in her breath.

He now wore the same blue jumpsuit as the King and his little brother. The white chest plate that protected his torso was the same, as was the red cloak around his shoulders. The royal symbol stood out in red on his right pectoral, same as every Royal's armor. Everything about his clothes were exactly the same as his relatives, and yet…

He looked far more princely than anyone she'd seen in her life.

He smirked at her reaction. "What's the matter, Onna? You look so surprised."

She blinked. "Uh…"

"And what are you wearing? Go put on the Saiyan clothes the servants left for you. You can't have breakfast with royals in dirty clothes."

Instinctively, Bulma looked down at her outfit. She hadn't even thought of wearing the Saiyan armor. She'd just slipped back into her kakis and lab coat.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't know I was supposed to wear those…"

He smirked. "Who did you think they were for?"

"Shut up!" she said, slamming her door. She blushed as she heard Tarble's laugh, and Vegeta's chuckle.

The material was surprisingly easily to get into, and even the chest plate the servant's had left for her stretched over her head and arms, shrinking to fit her figure.

_Well, that's convenient, _she thought. There was no cloak, which apparently only the royal's wore, but the white boots were cute. The top was sleeveless, and the neckline stopped just below her chin, like a turtle-neck. The pants were long as slid into the boots like skinny jeans, which happened to be one of her favorite styles.

She slid her dainty fingers into the white gloves, amazed at how well everything fit as she looked into the mirror. She grinned as she realized something completely awesome.

She looked really good in Saiyan clothes.

Hmm. But her hair being out looked…predatory, maybe. Animalistic. So, she tied it in a ponytail, letting the now curly locks fall down her back.

Vegeta abruptly stopped his conversation with his brother when she came out. Bulma grinned at his expression. "Better?" she asked.

He swallowed, glancing away as his face flushed. "It's fine, Onna. Now hurry up or they'll start without us."

Tarble grinned at her as his elder sibling stalked off. Bulma smiled.

* * *

><p>The royal dining hall was enormous, with the table taking up much of the space. The Saiyans present cheered as the Princes entered the room. Their father stood, this time speaking English.<p>

"Let us feast," he said, "In honor of my two sons, Prince Vegeta and Prince Tarble. Power and youth courses through their veins, as does my blood."

The Saiyans gave a loud cry that would have made Bulma think of battle rather than food, but she brushed it off, feeling that it was probably the Saiyan way.

Vegeta looked surprised as his father motioned for him to take the seat at the head of the table. King Vegeta sat on his right, and Tarble took the seat to his left, with Bulma sitting beside the little Prince. She grinned when Vegeta glanced at her. _Told you so,_ she mouthed.

He rolled his eyes.

Bulma discovered a new thing about Saiyans then. It was not just Vegeta who had a large appetite; the entire race consumed a conspicuously large amount of food. Her stomach felt as if it had sunk to her toes. _So now I've starved him too? Could this possibly get any worse?_

As if reading her thoughts, Vegeta's head shot up, his hand lowering the fork that he'd almost brought to his lips. The Saiyan Prince stood, clearing his throat. Everyone stopped immediately, giving him their full attention.

"Forgive my discourtesy, but it seems that I've forgotten something. I've brought a human to visit our beautiful city."

Collective murmurs went around the room. Vegeta beckoned to the blue haired woman, and she stood. "I'd like you to welcome Bulma to our kingdom. Please treat her with as much respect as you would myself."

They applauded softly, nodding at her. Bulma blushed as sat back down as they resumed eating.

_Why does he do that?_ She wondered, no longer hungry. _After all I've done to him, some of it without even realizing, he still acts as if it were nothing. As if I deserve to be given such treatment._

The Boy who was yet to be a Man smiled at her, his lips pulled up in his trademark smirk.

* * *

><p>"Can't you track them at all?" Yamcha complained.<p>

"I'm trying," 18 snapped. "If this is so easy, you do it. Her bio-signature has completely disappeared."

"But that doesn't make sense!"

"Would you two shut up?" Miyamoto said, sarcastically pleasant. "I've already got a way to locate them."

Krillen, 18 and Yamcha stared at him. "Why didn't you tell us that?" Yamcha demanded.

"Because," Miyamoto said, "I've got demands, and unless you meet them, then you can just let Miss Briefs stay kidnapped with that monkey man."

"Bastard!" 18 screeched.

Miyamoto smirked. "Why, thank you. But Miss Briefs has made a terrible mistake, and I intend to fix it. Now, here are my terms. I will tell you where I have located her, and how, if I'm feeling particularly gracious, and I will also tell you how to retrieve her without dying, not that you could do it at all without me. And in return, you are going to help me catch that monkey abomination she has so ridiculously dubbed Vegeta."

"Or, we can call the police and make you," Krillin said. "Or I could beat you senseless. Your choice."

"You won't find her if I'm bleeding to death. And what will you tell the police? 'Miss Briefs has been kidnapped by a man with a tail?' Do you really think they'll buy that?"

Krillen and 18 looked at Yamcha. He sighed. "Fine," he said reluctantly. "We'll do it your way."

* * *

><p>Vegeta leapt backwards, his tail wrapped securely around his slim waist. He grinned at his opponent, who was now speeding toward him. Goku swung his fist, which Vegeta swiftly took a hold of and flipped him over his shoulder. The taller Saiyan landed on his feet, his mouth twisted into a goofy grin as a Ki attack formed in his hand.<p>

He wound up like a baseball pitcher and threw it at the Prince, who deflected it with a wave of his hand.

Bulma bit her lip. To train, the Saiyan's had removed everything but their blue pants, revealing their perfectly sculpted, very _male_ bodies. It was nothing short of eye-candy, to say the least.

"Yummy, aren't they?" a feminine voice said. Bulma jumped, nearly slipping off her perch on the observation balcony, which she found had been very well named.

The woman who had spoken wore the same Saiyan armor as she did. She was average height for a woman, with long, straight black hair spilling down her shoulders, a few thick strands pulled into a ponytail above the rest, with two more strands hanging in front of her ears. She was pretty, with black eyes that matched Goku's, and pale skin that matched Bulma's. Her small, lithe form automatically told Bulma she was human, although she didn't look weak by any means. At least, by human standards.

Suddenly, she realized why Vegeta had thought she was so weak, because she was. Compared to this woman, she was pathetic.

"I'm Chi Chi, Goku's wife," the woman said. "You must be Bulma. Goku told me that Vegeta had brought back a human with blue hair, but I didn't believe him. Guess I was wrong," she chuckled.

Bulma gaped at her. "Uh…yeah, that'd be me. And Vegeta didn't chose me, so don't start assuming."

Chi Chi smirked, taking a seat beside Bulma, her legs dangling over the balcony, swinging gently. "I know he hasn't. If he had, you wouldn't be staring at him like you wanted him so much."

Bulma blanched, flabbergasted. "I...N-no I wasn't!"

"Were too!" Chi Chi grinned. "Don't feel bad. Marron told me the same thing when I first came here. She said, "You're always looking at Kakarot like he's food." I denied it forever until he chose me, and I almost fainted when he did, I was so happy."

Bulma blushed furiously. "I don't have romantic feelings for Vegeta –"

"Well, you must be close to him, or else you would have called him 'Prince'," Chi Chi pointed out.

"Why does everyone think he's chosen me? I just wanted to see Vegeta-sei, that's all!"

"Someone's in de_ni_al," Chi Chi chanted. "Why are you so embarrassed? I mean, don't get me wrong, I prefer Goku, no contest, but Vegeta's pretty hot."

_Well, you're kinda handsome, just saying…._

"Curse my ever flapping tongue," Bulma muttered.

"Come again?"

"Nothing."

Chi Chi shrugged, turning her attention back to the men. "I love Goku. He's the best thing that ever happened to me." She sighed dreamily. "I remember, when the dance rituals came, a few guys asked me to dance-"

"Dance rituals?"

"Yes. All the people dance in two circles, one with just boys and one with just girls, and they dance in those groups, facing each other and going opposite directions until they see the person they wish to be with. Then they step out of the circle and dance in front of them, and if the person they chose wants them too, then they break from the circle and dance alone. Then they're married in a later ceremony, and voilà! Life mates!" Chi Chi smiled, remembering. "Anyway, a few warriors asked me to dance, but I turned them all down. Goku was so bashful, it took him forever to come to me. But he finally did, and it was the best dance of my life."

Bulma giggled, trying to imagine Goku dancing. Then she frowned. "Did Vegeta ever…"

Chi Chi shook her head. "You have to participate in the dance if you're single, it's just the rules. But he never chose anyone, despite all the females that tried to choose him."

"Why not?"

"Well, Goku said that Vegeta told him that he thought the girls just wanted to marry a Prince. He didn't even know half of them. Personally, I think he wants a little spitfire to back talk him, is all. Most of those girls would have done anything he ever told them."

_No wonder he wasn't attracted to them,_ Bulma thought, remembering her conversation with the prince concerning mating.

"Why do you think that?" she inquired.

Chi Chi shrugged. "I think he wants someone to make his life interesting. He can't stand the servants, since they come at his beck and call, and he's so self-reliant. He never accepts help from anyone, _ever_. We're lucky if we can get him to the infirmary after a fight. If a woman was there to slap him a few times and tell him to stop being stupid, my guess is that he would find it extremely amusing."

Bulma blinked, remembering that he'd accepted her help when Miyamoto attacked him. She shook her head, trying to jolt the thought from her mind. Then she scoffed. "Hmph." she said. "He would."

She looked back to the spar, her face draining of color as she realized the Prince was watching her, smirking.

Chi Chi laughed, returning the grin her own husband had sent her way. "I forgot. They have like, freaking bionic hearing. So, they pretty much heard that entire conversation."

"Chi Chi!" Bulma shrieked.

"Sorry Bulma! I forgot! Anyway, I told you. He finds it amusing. See?"

"Yes, I see, thanks for nothing."

Chi Chi giggled. "Come on, let's go inside. I haven't talked to a human in _ages_."

Bulma complied, eager to get away from Vegeta's piercing, watchful eyes.

* * *

><p>The black haired human-gone-Saiyan took Bulma to a women's lounge, jumping on the large couch.<p>

"Chi Chi? Vegeta said he wouldn't be a man until he went through 'the rites of passage'. What do you know about that?" Bulma asked.

Chi Chi frowned, bringing her legs underneath her to sit Indian style. "It's…well, it's brutal. When a boy chooses a woman, they have to endure certain…hardships, to prove they are strong enough to take care of their family."

For possibly the fourth time that day, Bulma paled. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, they have to battle other, bigger Saiyans. They don't necessarily have to win, just last long enough. And…they whip them-"

"What?" Bulma cried.

"I know. I thought the same thing," Chi Chi said solemnly. "But the men take pride in the tradition. They consider it an honor. Anyway, they also have to go on a three week journey. They don't get to take any food or supplies, just their bare hands. If they survive those three weeks, and all the battling and whipping they endured before, then they can marry the woman they chose."

Bulma looked horrified. "And if they don't?"

"They can't marry, is all. Publicly humiliated, they train and get stronger, and try again the next year."

"That's horrible," the blue haired heiress whispered.

"I thought so too," Chi Chi said softly. "But Goku wanted to do it. It killed me, watching them beat him like that. But you know how Saiyan's are, pigheaded little mules. And they have extremely high regeneration abilities, so the wounds heal almost as soon a day after they finish, so it doesn't leave any scars."

Bulma's mind involuntarily created an image of the Prince bleeding, scars covering his flawless body. She shuddered.

"Don't the women have to do something?" She asked. It didn't seem right that only the man had to go through torture, not that she was asking for it.

"Girls become women much earlier than the men do. When a girl first reaches puberty, they go through their own ritual. I didn't have to, since I had been a woman for years already, and they just accepted my culture as it was. As far as I know, the women receive the same treatment, although not as brutal because they're so much younger, and other females always give the ritual, so it's not as forceful either."

"I didn't know Saiyans were so – "

"Violent? They're not, honestly. Yes, they love battle, and yes, they're very strong, but if you think about it, they aren't any more violent than humans are. It's just, their strength is on such a bigger scale than ours, so it just seems brutal."

"Humans don't do rituals like that on their marriages!"

"No. We don't. Instead, we fight and murder our own species in pointless wars over territory. As far as I'm concerned, Saiyan's are the most closely knit community I've ever seen. At least they don't kill each other." Chi Chi snapped, her voice bitter.

Bulma hadn't thought of it like that before. "You like it here better than in human society, don't you?"

Chi Chi sighed. "Is it that obvious?" she asked.

Bulma nodded.

"My uncle, from my mother's side, was my absolute favorite," Chi Chi said softly. "He was in the President's army. Someone shot and killed him. I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"I'm sorry."

"He wouldn't want anyone to be. Anyway, let's talk about something cheerful."

"Like what?"

"Boys, what else?"

They laughed. A soft knock on the door interrupted them.

"Come in," Chi Chi called. Tarble peaked his head in.

"Hi Chi. Um, Selypa brought Gohan over. She said he was crying for you."

Chi Chi jumped up. "Gimme."

A little spiky haired boy stumbled past Tarble and bounded into Chi Chi's arms. "Hi mommy!" the child cried gleefully.

"Hi Gohan! Were you behaving with Selypa? You weren't a bad little boy, were you?"

Gohan shook his head vigorously. "Uh-uh!" he said.

Bulma giggled. "Well, who's this Chi Chi? Is he your son?"

Chi Chi gave a motherly smile. "Yes. This is Gohan." Her smile turned from motherly to prideful. "Goku's first and eldest son. Say hi to Bulma, Gohan," she said, setting the child down.

Gohan bowed respectfully. "Hello, ma'am."

"That is so freaking cute, Chi," Bulma said. "He's adorable!"

Chi Chi grinned. "I know."

Bulma dropped to one knee so she could get a better look at the little boy. The resemblance between Gohan and his father was uncanny. Saiyan's must have strong genes. "How old are you, Gohan?" she asked.

He counted on his fingers. "I'm…uh, six, ma'am."

Bulma blinked. "Well, you're a big boy, aren't you?" She'd only thought he was four.

He grinned. "Uh huh!"

Bulma turned to Tarble, who was still waiting, smiling at Gohan. It suddenly occurred to her that Tarble must have wanted his own little brother at some point; someone to look up to him like he looked up to Vegeta.

"Tarble?" she asked. "Where's Vegeta?"

At the mention of his brother's name, the teenager brightened, then jumped. "Oh! I forgot! He sent me to get you. He said he wants to show you something."

"Well, go on and go see what he wants," Chi Chi said slyly.

"Geez, Chi, I've known you for like five minutes and you're worse than 18 _ever_ was!"

"Who?"

"Never mind. I'll see you later."

* * *

><p>She found Vegeta in the courtyard, again dressed in deerskin pants, his bow and spear strapped across his back. She raised an eyebrow.<p>

"You said you wanted to see me hunt," he said, "So you're going to see me hunt."

"What about my clothes?" she asked, motioning to the bright blue jumpsuit she wore.

He motioned to three servant girls behind him, who were currently swooning a little at his perfect physique. They jumped to attention, and immediately pulled Bulma into a small building, were they measured her size again and selected clothes for her to put on.

The deerskin suit was like a halter top, with long cutoff sleeves that stopped below her shoulder to protect her arms. It was smooth and soft, but thick, with pants that resembled Levii jeans without buttons. They gave her moccasins to wear on her feet, which Vegeta must have warned them about, considering Saiyans wore no shoes when they hunted.

After dressing, she went back to Vegeta, accepting the bow the servants had given her. He looked her up and down, his cheeks flushing slightly as he nodded, satisfied.

"Hurry up. We're going to fly." He said.

"What? No! I don't want to fly! You scared the living hell out of me last time!"

He smirked. "And yet you're still chirping away like a little demon canary." He scooped her into his arms, despite her loud protest, and took off into the sky.

If she'd stayed in their take off spot a while longer, she might have heard her belt beeping in her room.

* * *

><p>The flight wasn't far, even though Bulma clung to his neck and buried her face in his shoulders until they landed. His footsteps were soft on the jungle floor, his feet never once snapping a twig. He sat her high in a tree so she could watch without getting in the way, climbing to a higher perch as he did so.<p>

His keen eyes scanned the area, his brow furrowed as he concentrated. Then his thick black eyebrows lifted as his coal black eyes locked onto his prey.

Bulma climbed higher, stopping just behind him. "What is it?"" She whispered.

"Shhh," he said softly. She clamped her mouth shut.

He slowly reached for his bow, shifting his feet as he swung onto another branch, getting closer and closer to the ground.

Bulma looked out past the branches that hid her. They'd stopped at a large clearing, full of tall grass that went at least to Vegeta's waist. Far out in the middle of the meadow, a herd of deer grazed lazily.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught a slight rustle below her. She looked down; the Saiyan Prince was crouched in the grass as he made his way closer. Even with his strength, a bow could only shoot so far, and he needed to close the distance.

She watched him, her eyes getting bigger with awe at his every move. His stealth was incredible. Vegeta's movements were silent, graceful. He stopped as one deer warily lifted its head, one hand gripping the fine wood of his bow, the other with his fingertips resting lightly on the soft earth. How he knew the creature's movements without being able to see it was beyond her.

The male deer went back to grazing, and Vegeta resumed stalking his prey. Deciding he was close enough, he slowly rose to his feet, drawing his bow as he did so, his tail darting back and forth with anticipation.

All the deer looked up abruptly, and Vegeta let his arrow fly.

It struck the male in the heart, and the deer fell immediately, the females taking off without him. The Saiyan hunter dropped his bow and was following them almost immediately, his feet barely grazing the ground as he ran. Just as they began to disappear into the brush, he leapt into the air as if he was leaping from a diving board, arching his back as he landed on one of the females, retrieving his spear from its holder and inserting it cleanly into the deer's side. He jumped off of its back just as the creature fell, pulling the spear out with him, and the Prince landed safely on his feet with a soft thump.

Bulma closed her mouth, suddenly realizing it was open.

She climbed down from the tree as fast as she could, running to him as he dragged the doe's body back to the buck's. He murmured soft word over them in his native language.

"What did you say?" she asked.

"I thanked them for being good prey, and for giving me their life force to feed on."

Saiyan's were surprisingly like humans, just as Chi Chi said. The blue haired scientist couldn't count how many human cultures practiced this. Countless Native American's, some African tribes…

"Yes, some humans do that too," she said thoughtfully.

He looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Only some? Do the others not respect the creatures life?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. Some people don't really care about Nature."

He scoffed. "Hmph. How much disrespect could one possibly have for his own planet? Ridiculous."

Bulma smiled. "Well, that was amazing, I have to say," she complimented.

He smirked as he tied the deer's hind legs together. "I know," he said. He motioned for her to climb on his back so he could carry his kill, making sure to complain that he could have hunted several more if he didn't have to carry such a noisy, screeching harpy.

Even at the indirect insult, she could help laughing at his arrogant tone.

As they flew, Bulma gave into temptation and tucked her nose into the soft, thick hair at the base of his neck.

He smelled strangely like lemons.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Took me forever to do that! I'm supposed to be doing homework right now but eh. I was trying to make the Saiyan's care about Nature and taking innocent life, which I know has been done a hundred times before so forgive me if it reminded you of a couple of movies. Sorry if you wanted more Tarble, more in the next chappie maybe. Review and tell me what you guys think!**

**~KimiruMai**


	7. Intimacy

**A/N: Helloooo! I've got SLIGHT writer's block again. Sorry if it took me a long time for this chappie and the last one. Chapter 6 wasn't as good as I wanted it to be, but eh. Thanks for all the views and reviews! They really make my day, honestly. I had to change a like two things in the last chapter so it was a re-upload, just cuz that woulda screwed the timeline over. **

**I want to be able to have things well underway before Miyamoto comes, so the timeline might be a little skewed. Sorry! **

**Pallyndrome: Thanks! I try!**

**Preciousblue: Thank you! Glad I could satisfy!**

**dbzfan777: Thank you! Miyamoto obviously isn't going to be as much of a problem as an Ice-jin or something, but you know, they'll be some conflict.**

**FireStorm1991: Heehee me too! And good determination!**

**Cara2012: Thank you! It was fun to write.**

**Saiyanwarrior23: Yes, it does. **

**Appplepie33: Thanks! I figured this is what he would be like if he wasn't tortured by Frieza.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned any form or series in DBZ, Trunk's hair would have stayed light violet instead of that awful dark purple. And whatever the hell Goten did to his Goku-like hair woulda never happened.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: Intimacy<strong>

She'd been with him for two weeks now.

Two weeks in Vegeta-sei, two weeks with no contact to the human world, two weeks playing dress up and being a Saiyan.

And she loved it.

Bulma had never had so much fun in her life. Yes, she missed her parents, and her friends, and the mall, but Saiyan life was enjoyable. She was happy.

Food was abundant, obviously. Normally, she wouldn't think twice about eating a freshly killed deer, but the venison was surprisingly delicious once cooked.

There was no shortage of tech to keep her occupied, as the Saiyans were far more technologically advanced than humans, despite Bulma's recent, genius ideas.

Vegeta was good with machines too.

"No, no, no! Woman, you're crossing the completely wrong wires!" he said, exasperated.

"Am not!" she defended.

"Okay, then try it and when you blow yourself up, don't come haunting to me."

"Hmph." She said. "Well, which one is it then?"

He slid under the giant space pod, taking the tools from her and crossing the correct wires. "Like that," he said. "Now you just have to insert the nalyn chip in the hard drive and start it up."

She stared at him. "The what?"

He sighed. "Here," he said, passing her a strange computer chip. Bulma looked it over. The wiring was extremely complex; as much as she could do with her little screwdriver, this machinery was beyond her.

"Wait, don't put that in yet. Give it back." She handed him the chip, smiling as he furrowed his brow, his eyes narrowing as he fiddled with the wiring using a strange little tool she couldn't really describe. After a minute, he handed it back, motioning for her to insert the chip into the control panel.

"You're lucky I caught that, or you would have most likely lost an arm," he grumbled.

Bulma jumped slightly, wanting to drop the piece, but she kept her grip of it knowing that he'd be angry if she did. The chip was important.

"How did you catch it? The wires are so little…"

"It was easy to find, woman. I'm surprised you didn't see it yourself. It was right in front of your face," he replied.

"Well _excuse _ME if I don't know Saiyan technology!" she snapped. Her eyes widened slightly when they fell on his shoulders, which were shaking gently with laughter. "What the hell is so funny?" she demanded.

He attempted to look up with a straight face, failing despondently. He buried his face in one hand as he tried to contain his amusement. "Woman," he said between breaths, "your face," more laughter, "is very amusing when you are angry."

Bulma's eyebrows knitted together as she started to glare at him, but also failed miserably, and found herself laughing too.

* * *

><p>She tried to train, as Vegeta instructed, but the only one she could fight without being crushed to death was Chi Chi. After a few spars and multiply bruising only to the blue haired heiress, she gave up.<p>

She'd thought he'd be disappointed with her, and he was, but he said it was better than seeing her pale skin all purple.

After that, Bulma tried taking up archery.

Unfortunately, she found out two very important things;

One, she wasn't strong enough to pull back the bow string.

Two, she had horrible aim.

She only made a bull's eye once. Vegeta was getting tired of losing his arrows, so he helped her.

"What are you doing, Onna?" he asked, breathing down her neck. She shivered.

"I'm trying to shoot this stupid thing, what does it look like? Stop breathing down my neck. It tickles."

He sighed, and she shuddered again. "You're doing it wrong, Onna."

Now it was her turn to sigh. "No kidding. Help me?"

He gave a small smile. "First of all, straighten up."

Bulma frowned. "I am!" she whined.

He gently put his hands on her abdomen, pushing her stomach in and her back out.

"That's straight. Lift the bow higher. No, Onna, not that high! There, perfect. Don't move. For Kami's sake, Woman, stop shaking!"

"I'm not shaking on purpose, idiot!"

He growled in her ear.

She lowered the bow. "This is ridiculous. Why am I still trying to do this?"

He smirked. "Because it is amusing."

"For you or for me?" she asked.

"For me."

"Of course. Glad I could amuse you."

"You don't have enough muscle mass to pull it back. And that's the lightest bow we've ever made."

Oh, goody.

"Here." He stood behind her, taking her hands in his. They lifted the bow and drew it, taking aim. Bulma blushed at the contact of his chest against her back, the blush darkening when she found herself leaning against his firm muscles.

Her small fingertips rested on the nock of the arrow, his larger ones on top of hers and barely brushing the fletching. "Let go," he whispered. She obeyed, and the arrow flew, slamming into its target.

Vegeta smiled. "Just like that."

Bulma sighed. "Yeah, but that doesn't count. You helped. I still can't draw it back on my own."

"Would you like to try spearing, then?"

"Um, I think I'll stick to machines," she said.

He chuckled. "Alright, Little Onna. You may do as you please."

Bulma hung the bow on its hook, setting the quiver on the floor beside it. "Actually," she said quietly, "will you take me flying?"

He looked back sharply. "I thought you didn't like –"

"I don't. But I don't like being scared of things either. So you're going to take me flying until I'm not afraid anymore."

He smirked. "Spoken like a true Saiyan, Onna. Spoken like a true Saiyan."

"Shut up!"

He laughed.

* * *

><p>Bulma sighed, her heavy heart thudding slowly in her chest. Ever since yesterday, she'd been miserable. With Vegeta in the infirmary…<p>

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?" she asked.<p>

He slid out from underneath the strange machine on a rolling floor seat, revealing his naked upper half. "I'm building something," he said simply.

"No kidding. What are you building, I mean?"

"A new space craft. And you should really work on saying what you mean first, so you don't have to repeat yourself."

She rolled her eyes at him as he slid back underneath it. She observed his strange tools, never comprehending what the blazes each one was supposed to do. Some of them were much like earth tools, like monkey wrenches (haha) and wire cutters. Many more unidentified objects were lying around his feet.

His feet….which led up to his toned calves…which led up to…

No. Oh hell no. No no no no NO.

"I'm bored," she said, trying to distract herself.

"So go amuse yourself."

Soooo not helping.

"Like what?" Bulma asked.

"I don't know. Go build something."

"I don't know how to use Saiyan tech yet," she complained.

He shifted slightly. "What do you want me to do about it, Žena?"

"One, teach me. Two, žena?"

"One, I'm currently otherwise occupied. Two, Woman."

She sighed. "I have a name, you know."

"I am not unaware of this."

"Then why don't you call me by it?"

"Because your annoyance at me is amusing."

"Jerk," she muttered. He chuckled, rolling out from under his project.

"Vegeta-sei is a large city, Onna. Why don't you go exploring?" he asked, propping his elbows on each knee. There was a smudge of grease on his cheek, and another on his arm.

Damn. A really hot boy, with a rocking body, a smirk to die for despite the arrogance it portrayed, and now he had to make it worse by being good with machines and tools.

Damn.

"I'll probably get lost. And anyway, there's no one to go exploring _with_. It's no fun if you do it alone," she pouted.

He smirked. "I'm sure Tarble would love to help you solve your dilemma."

"I'm a grown woman, Vegeta," she said stiffly. "I don't seek the company of teenage boys."

He grinned at her, subconsciously running his tongue over his sharp canines. "You forget, Žena, that I am technically a teenager as well."

Bulma folded her arms. "That's different. You're my age. Tarble is thirteen."

He chuckled, his tail thumping against the floor. "Alright, Onna. I'll give in, just this once, and only because this task is presently tedious and boring me to death."

She smiled, knowing that it was just an excuse. Vegeta stood, nudging the mechanical floor seat he'd been lying on out of the way.

Bulma's eyes caught the wheels catching on a yellow wire. "Vege –"

His eyes widened as the wire snapped. Suddenly, he tackled her, covering every inch of her body with his own. Bulma screamed as she heard a loud explosion, Vegeta's arms tightening around her shoulders. She gripped his arm and felt something sticky and damp. She knew without looking that it was his blood.

The noise was gone in nearly ten seconds, but to the blue haired beauty it seemed like an eternity. She clamped her mouth shut after the first scream, knowing it was probably hurting the Prince's ears. When the noise and dust finally settled, Bulma felt Vegeta's grip slack, his weight crushing the breath from her lungs as his body went limp on top of her.

"Vegeta!" she screamed. Tears ran down Bulma's cheeks as she forced herself in to a sitting position, the Saiyan Prince's head sliding into her lap.

"Ouch!" she cried. A small piece of metal had embedded itself into her hand. She pulled it out, biting her lip. Other than her newly found cut, she was completely unscathed. Not a mark on her anywhere. She bit her lip harder, tasting a metallic drop of red liquid on her tongue. Vegeta's breathing was ragged, his tan skin stained red with his own blood.

_Dammit, _she thought. _I always cause things like this. How many times must I be responsible for his physical hurt? _

She ran her fingers through his thick black hair, pulling him into her arms. "This is all my fault," she murmured, salty tears pouring from her big, blue eyes.

She sat there for barely three minutes, but it felt like hours. She never felt the hands that were gripping her arms, never felt the Saiyan paramedics prying her fingers from Vegeta's dark, coal black mane.

Later, she would remember hearing someone screaming, and if she thought really hard, she might recall the sharp stab of pain in her arm before she blacked out.

* * *

><p>Bulma opened her eyes and shrieked. Fasha shrieked too, and fell off the bed.<p>

Tarble chuckled. "I told you so," he teased.

Fasha stuck out her tongue at him. He laughed.

Tarble's laughter sounded so much like Vegeta's. Instantly, memories of the day before came rushing back to Bulma's mind. She groaned.

"Are you okay Bulma?" Fasha asked.

"Vegeta…" Bulma moaned.

"He's okay," Tarble said. "He's had far worse injuries than this. He's still unconscious, but it's nothing serious."

_Unconscious. Damn._

"Why do I always have to be the one causing things? Can't the universe leave me alone for ten minutes?" she wailed.

Tarble furrowed his brow (just like Vegeta often did, dammit) and tried to soothe her. "It wasn't your fault, Bulma. The wheel got caught on the wire, is all –"

"But it wouldn't have if I hadn't kept bugging him!" She cried.

Tarble sighed. Fasha tried to console the weeping woman, to no avail. After Bulma cried for ten minutes straight with no sigh of stopping, her eyes widened in shock when Fasha climbed on the bed and slapped her.

"Wha-" she started.

"If you feel so bad," Fasha said, clearly irritated, "then stop crying like a baby and just go see him already. It's just a stupid concussion. Our Prince has endured much, _much _worse, and it's insulting for you to think any less of him."

Bulma sniffled. "Okay," she said. The two teens/preteens exited the room so she could change clothes.

The blue haired intellect was for once completely dumbfounded. She didn't know what to think of the current circumstances, nor what to make of the event that caused the situation.

She slipped into the Saiyan armor she'd grown so accustomed to wearing and tied her hair back into a ponytail after combing it through. One look in the mirror told her how stress she was feeling; her eyes were red from crying and her already pale skin looked blotchy.

Bulma's face contorted into horror. She looked like a zombie! She couldn't go see Vegeta like this!

She quickly undressed again and took a hot bath to sooth her nerves, washing her hair with shampoo (again, thank Kami for capsule makeup and hair supplies) and brushing it till the blue strands shone.

"_It's soft," he said in a low tone._

Dammit.

Well, she was done sniffling. Vegeta would have laughed at her for crying like a baby.

Slipping back into the armor, she marched her way down to the infirmary.

A very tall, very giant man was waiting at the door. "Who are you?" he demanded.

"I'm Bulma. I'm here to see Prince Vegeta."

He frowned at her, not budging from his post. "No one is allowed access."

"But –"

"Be gone, woman!" he ordered.

What? Oh no. Oh hell no. No freaking way.

"First of all," she snapped. "I have the Prince's damn ring, so I can do what I want. Second of all, NO ONE is allowed to call me that but him! Got it?"

The big man jumped. "I am Nappa, the Prince's body guard."

She snorted. As if he needed one.

The freakishly large Saiyan continued. "As his body guard, you must understand that I'll need proof."

Bulma took the necklace out of her collar and showed Nappa the ring. His eyes widened slightly before he abruptly stepped aside and let her pass.

Tarble was right; Vegeta didn't look too banged up. But he didn't look fantastic, either.

He lay quietly on the bed, gauze wrapped around his middle and another piece tapped on a cut below his eye. There was a piece wrapped around his bicep and his forehead, his hair damp from the water that the paramedics used to rinse the blood out.

Instantly, all the resolve Bulma had built up not to cry crumbled like a wall that had taken a wrecking ball. Seeing him like that was awful. He didn't look tormented, nor did he look peaceful. His eyes were closed and his jaw was slacked, his normally smirking lips not turned up or down. He was breathing softly, evenly, but it didn't look like he was asleep. The expression on his face…

It looked like only his body was present; like his mind were somewhere else, preoccupied.

It looked as if he were dead, even though his body was still visibly functioning.

Bulma cursed. Here she was, all fine and dandy, and Vegeta was in the hospital. Was she really that big of a klutz?

"It's not your fault, Miss Bulma," an unrecognized voice said.

She turned to see a tall, young looking man with long hair standing in the doorway.

"Who are you?" she asked. "And how do you know my name?"

"Kakarot told me. I'm Raditz, Goku's older brother, and uncle to the little squirt Gohan. You've met them both already, I'm sure."

She nodded. "I suppose Chi Chi also hits you with frying pans?"

He gave a hearty laugh. "Why, yes, actually, she does. I'm still a bachelor, so whenever I come around, I'm free frying pan game."

Bulma smiled, despite the circumstances. Raditz nodded toward the prince. "I hate seeing him like that," Raditz admitted. "All still. It's only on rare occasions that I don't see him moving, in action. It's unnatural."

Bulma blinked, thinking the same thing. "Are you a part of his squad?"

Raditz nodded. "I'm the lowest member, since my brother is stronger than I am, but all group members are relatively close. Think of it like a wolf pack. Vegeta is the Alpha male, Nappa is Beta, Kakarot is Gamma…" he smirked halfheartedly, "And I guess that makes me the Omega."

Bulma frowned. "I don't think that's the same thing," she said slowly.

He offered a small smile. "True, we're nothing like an actual wolf pack; I just used that as an example. But the status remains the same." He brightened. "But it's not that bad. I mean, being the omega in the Prince's pack isn't something to sneeze at. I'm proud to hold the position."

Bulma nodded. "That's good."

Raditz smiled. "I suppose. Anyway, his injuries aren't your fault. He could have gotten out of the way in time. He _wanted _to rescue you."

"Exactly!" Bulma cried. "If I hadn't been in the way, he would have been fine! In fact, if I hadn't bothered him at all, the stupid thing wouldn't have exploded!"

The Saiyan Omega rolled his eyes. "How long have you been following his Majesty around? He gets into scrapes quite often. If you ask me, his mischief rate has gone down drastically since you came here."

She looked suspicious. "Really?"

He nodded, chuckling. "Once, he was wresting a cougar, and the thing nearly bit his arm off. Literally. He's got the claws hanging up in his room, I think. It took us forever to get him to the infirmary. Kakarot had to knock him out so we could drag him to get stitches, stubborn little mule. And not three days later, he was out of bed again, without even getting the stitches removed, and attacked Kakarot, for either revenge for knocking him out or just for the hell of it, I don't know. Broke two ribs, his other wrist, and got concussion. He's absolutely reckless."

Bulma would have thought it was an insult if there wasn't a genuine smile on his face.

"That's what the people love about him," he continued. "His recklessness, I mean. They love his unruliness, his thrill of adventure. He's an enigma to all of us, and the people love it."

_He's an enigma to me too, _Bulma thought.

"He'll be a great king someday," Raditz said thoughtfully. "I can't wait to see what he does when he takes the throne. It'll be a hell of a ride, I'll tell you that."

With that statement left hanging in the air, Raditz quietly exited the room.

Bulma looked at the Prince, her gaze roaming over his sharp features. "Yes," she said softly. "He will be a great King. And he'll still be a complete enigma, even if he rules them for centuries upon end. Even if I know him until that final day."

She pondered over her own words momentarily. Then, a look of determination crossed her face, and she marched out of the infirmary, knowing she'd change her mind if she lingered too long.

"Excuse me?" King Vegeta said.

"You heard me," Bulma said unwaveringly. "I'm the reason he was gone for so long."

The King looked angry. "How dare you suggest my son would toy with a woman like –"

"I never said that. Vegeta is still pure, calm down. The reason he was gone was because I trapped him in a cage made of Steel Titanium Glass. I made the material myself, and it was indestructible. There was no possible way for him to escape."

Vegeta-Denka glared at her. "Then why is he present here in the city with you accompanying him?"

"Because I let him out. Miyamoto electrocuted him. I decided that was wrong, and I let him go."

"What is this process? Electrocution?"

She sighed. "It is like a Ki blast, except that it can't be fired to draw blood. It sends electric shocks through the body, causing it to 'short-circuit' if you will. If enough is used it can be internally damaging, or even kill a person."

The King leapt to his feet. "WHAT!" he roared. "You allowed these buffoons to attack my son? How dare you even step into my city!"

"I didn't exactly _allow _them too. They did it without my permission and were…punished for it. But I suppose my actions led up to the event."

She could see his eyebrows knitting together with fury, his jaw tightening as he restrained himself from disintegrating her. "How dare you," he hissed, "set foot in my city, dress like a Saiyan, and sleep in the bloody palace, after you attacked my son! You dared to put him in captivity and now you're roaming our streets and staying in MY palace like a damn tourist?" His voice rose with every word, lacing his sentences with venom.

Bulma swallowed. She'd been expecting this. She shivered as she wondered how much of the impossibly strong Saiyan's torture could she possibly survive.

Not much, she was sure.

"Guards!" King Vegeta thundered. Ten of them rushed into the throne room immediately, spears ready. "Kill her this instant for treason against the Royal House!"

She braced herself. _How surprising,_ she thought, genuinely curious. _How surprising that he would choose to end my quickly instead of torturing me like I did their Prince._

The guards launched forward. Bulma closed her eyes, waiting for the first bit of searing pain to hit.

It never came.

She opened her eyes when she heard heavy thuds around her. Vegeta stood in front of her, his arms spread out like a shield.

"Vegeta…" she whispered.

"Get out of the way, Vegeta," his father ordered. "I won't tell you twice."

"Touch her," Vegeta hissed through clenched teeth, "and I'll kill everyone in this blasted room. Your first guards were lucky. I will not be so merciful next time around."

"REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THE PREMISES NOW!" Vegeta-Denka bellowed.

"Like you have anyone that could make me. Face it, Father. I'm stronger than your guards, and I'm stronger than you. You can't physically make me do anything."

One of the guards jumped up, trying to knock Vegeta off his feet without hurting him. The Prince swung his arm and sent the guard flying.

"Vegeta, stop!" Bulma screeched. "You're opening your wounds!"

She was right. Blood was now licking at his temple and his forearm.

"I don't care," he spat.

"Don't be an idiot! You need rest! Stop being so damn reckless! You'll hurt yourself!"

"Don't patronize me, Woman. You were about to walk willingly to your own death."

"That's entirely different!"

He growled. "There's no damn difference at all!"

"There is too! I deserve it, dammit! There's nothing you can say that changes that! I kept you in a fucking cage, I practically starved you without even trying, you coughed up _blood_ from the freaking sedatives, and to top it all off, you got electrocuted! Don't tell me I don't deserve punishment!" she screamed.

He gaped at her. The curses seem so foreign coming out of her mouth.

Bulma looked crushed. "I hurt you, probably more so than I know. I don't understand why you would overlook any of that. I don't understand why you would take me into your home, your kingdom, like I've been such a jolly good friend to you. The guilt is burning in my mind like acid against flesh. I can't take it anymore."

He was silent for a moment.

Bulma saw a flash of movement, and suddenly her face was stinging. She cried out, her surprise making her stumble and fall.

Vegeta towered over her, his right hand straightened above his left shoulder.

He'd slapped her.

"There," he said, his voice laced with irritation. "There is your punishment. Are you satisfied now, you blue haired little banshee?"

Normally, her current emotionally unstable state of being would have made her cry at the situation. But…

_Blue haired little __**Banshee**_?

"You are such an idiot!" she screamed, jumping to her feet. "What did that accomplish? You just wanted me to shut up! You can be so pigheaded sometimes Vegeta! And don't _you _patronize _me_! Raditz told me about your little escapades! What the hell did you think you were doing? Sparring with Goku with stitches still in? You broke a freaking rib! No, two! And you were lucky! What if Goku had fought full force? I know he didn't, or you'd have a lot worse than that! You could have torn your damn arm clean off! And wrestling crocodiles and cougars and all that nonsense! Are you insane? You could have killed yourself! Sometimes, I just want to…No wonder Chi Chi hits Goku with frying pans all the time! Why, if I had one right now I would _**so**_ –"

He was smirking.

_Smirking!_

"What the hell is so damn funny?" she screeched. He chuckled. "You are the most idiotic, bull headed, _monkey brained_, reckless dolt I've ever met!" she yelled.

Vigorous laughter interrupted her rant. King Vegeta was laughing.

Vegeta's eyes widened. He hadn't seen his father laugh in a long time.

"Well," the king said between snickers, "She certainly has that Saiyan spitfire, doesn't she?"

Vegeta smiled a little.

"I'm going to spare you, little onna," the king said, "just so I can see why my son is so infatuated with you to the point of him not telling me what he endured."

Vegeta's face flushed.

Bulma blinked. Then she growled. "Don't call me that!" she barked.

The Saiyan Prince smirked. "Why not, Little Onna? I call you that all the time."

"That's different!"

"I'll probably regret asking this, but how so?"

"Because…because…oh, just shut up! Go back to bed before you pass out from loss of blood!"

"I have lost much more blood than this before, Onna, and have remained painfully conscious the entire time." he replied.

"I don't care! Go back to the infirmary right now!"

"Make me."

"Fine!" Bulma pushed on his hard chest as hard as she possibly could. He didn't budge.

"You'll have to do better than that, Onna," he said, smirking.

"Arrogant little…!" She slid into a quick crouch, swinging her leg underneath his feet. His guard wasn't up; she was only a little thing, so Vegeta fell to the tile floor. He looked at her in bewilderment.

"When did you learn that?" he asked.

"I learned _something_ from Chi Chi! Now move it before I start rummaging through your kitchen supplies!"

He chuckled, standing. His father chortled with laughter as Vegeta let his blue haired little banshee push him back to the infirmary.

"You are such a moron," she hissed as he climbed back into bed.

"I could say the same about you," he said thoughtfully. "What were you trying to prove, Onna?"

"I wasn't trying to prove anything. I just wanted to pay for my crimes."

He snorted. "Crimes, Onna?"

"Yes, crimes. Now shut up and go to sleep."

"Not until you promise me you aren't going to try something else senseless."

She grumbled. "Fine. I promise. Now go to sleep!"

He chuckled, sliding further under the hideous white sheets. Bulma watched him carefully as he rolled onto his side so that his back faced her. His onyx black eyes closed, his lashes brushing his cheeks.

"Your father was really angry," she said softly. "He was mad that someone who'd hurt a Saiyan had entered his city."

Vegeta didn't respond.

"But the thing he fumed about the most was the fact that it was _you_ I hurt. He was very upset that I would dare attack his son. He mentioned that quite a few times."

Still nothing.

"He loves you, Vegeta. Very much," she said.

He was perfectly still for a moment, and for a second she worried that he'd passed out from re-opening his wounds. Then he let out an exhausted sigh.

"I know," he whispered.

Bulma's lips turned up slightly. "Good," she said, smoothing his hair. He exhaled softly, peacefully, before he closed his eyes again and slipped into a dreamless sleep.

**A/N: EL FIN! XD REVIEW AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! By the way, -Denka is the Japanese honorific for "Royal Highness", just for those who were wondering.**

**REVIEWS PLEASES!**

**~KimiruMai**


	8. Tails

**A/N: OMG thank you so much for all the reviews! Happy Author! **

**Sigh. This is fun as hell, but it's exhausting!**

**Seriously, I go to bed at like freaking 10:00 cuz I couldn't stop writing until I published my new chappie, then I can't sleep because my hyperactive brain comes up with new scenarios! Grrr! ****Sigh. Anyway…**

**I JUST GOT A REALLY CUTE IDEA! Who wants a little Tarble romance, eh? (Yes he has a wife in the series but this is way cuter, even though Veggie's reaction to Gure was hilarious.)**

**Asrae: Thank you! I love writing about Veggie-kun**

**Anny: Thank you! Saiyans normally mate for life, so that's why he made such a big deal about it.**

**Pallyndrome: Damn good-for-nothing auto-correct! Grr. I re uploaded it cuz it was bugging me. Lemme know if there's anything else! Thank you!**

**Sable: I didn't want to spend too much time on Veggie-kun in a cage, and Bulma's relationship with Yamcha never changed from the original. 18 and Krillen are childhood friends, and I obviously can't change her name cuz that would mess things up. Miyamoto's just a balding human, not much to his looks.**

**Disclaimer: Oh, the things I would have Veggie do if I owned DBZ…mwuah ha ha ha…**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: Tails. <strong>

Vegeta opened his eyes for the fourteenth time in the past three minutes. He was trapped in his room again, this time to recuperate.

Damn explosion. It wasn't even that big. Recovery was so…

_Boring._

He sighed.

"Hey! Don't tell me you're bored again."

He glared at the blue-haired harpy that had entered his room. "I'm sitting in a bed doing _nothing_. Do I look like I'm having fun?"

She chuckled. "No. I'm not having fun either, so calm yourself.

"I _am_ calm, Onna. That's why I'm bored."

She giggled. "Why are you laying like that?"

He sighed, burying his face in the foot of his bed. "I have to move _somewhere_, Onna. I can't stand this staying still!"

She giggled again as his tail waved back and forth in above him. "Do you want to read?"

"No, I do not want to read, Onna."

Actually, he loved to read, despite the fact that he had to stay still to do it. But he'd been reading for four hours now. Bulma had digitally downloaded at least ten novels, around four hundred pages each, and he'd finished all of them.

She was surprised when he took to the literature so quickly. She figured he might like the books considering his intelligence, but seriously;

Reading Moby Dick, Red Badge of Courage, Call of the Wild, Gone with the Wind, and at least six others all in four hours? He could tell her what happened in each one too.

"And there's nothing I can do to cheer you up?" she asked.

"No."

"Do you want to play a game?"

His couldn't help raising his eyebrow, suddenly curious.

"What kind of game, Žena?"

"It's called chess. It's a strategic game."

"Explain it to me."

She explained the basic rules to him, and told him the strategy would have to come from him as she downloaded the game.

You can get _anything_ off of Google.

She was a little surprised when he beat her.

He grinned, obviously amused. "Check mate," he said.

Bulma blinked. Then she laughed.

"Wow," she said. "I wasn't going easy on you either. You're pretty good."

"Of course I am."

"Normally it takes people years to be that good," she said thoughtfully.

He smirked. "Good thing I'm not normal. I don't like losing."

"Yes. You're a regular freak of nature."

He chuckled.

They played a few more games until he got bored of winning every time, though Bulma could have played for much longer if it would mean she would win.

"Anything else, Onna?" he asked.

"No, I'm out of ideas."

"Hmph," he said, rolling onto his stomach.

Bulma blinked. His shoulders looked awfully tense.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked.

He looked up. "Besides my extreme case of boredom?"

"You look…anxious."

"Undoubtedly because of my extreme case of boredom."

"That's not what I meant!" she exclaimed. "I mean…your shoulders look tense, is all."

He let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "My muscles are sore," he admitted.

Well, of course they were. He'd barely moved for three days.

Bulma took a deep breath. "Do you want me to loosen them up?"

Vegeta raised a thick black eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

She rose from her chair, standing over him. It hurt for a split second before the tension in his shoulders lessened as her small hands pressed into his back. "Like this," she said.

Bulma had taken masseuse classes before. Yamcha used to come home really stressed after what little time he spent actually training…

And she was damn good at it too.

Vegeta's eyes slid shut almost immediately as she massaged his taunt muscles. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"Good," Bulma said. "Just relax and breathe evenly."

His tail waved lazily from his right to his left, making soft thumps as it hit the mattress. Grunts of pleasure escaped his lips as her fingers worked loose the knots in his back and arms.

Bulma inhaled sharply when she felt a fuzzy appendage wrapping around her wrist, but even though it was furiously tickling, she kept going with the gentle ministrations.

His body relaxed completely, so much so she thought he might've fallen asleep. At, least, she thought this until her hands moved to his neck. Her eye's widened with slight shock when she heard a soft, incessant noise coming from his throat.

He was purring.

_Purring!_

The blue-haired, self-proclaimed masseuse fought back giggles. He was like a big, sleepy lion; seemingly harmless and gentle, yet powerful enough to rip limbs from even the strongest bodies.

Vegeta's tail slacked, coming to rest against his back.

The fur was so _soft_.

She finally gave into temptation, letting her fingers run over his long tail. His purrs turned into a soft growl. This was his one and only physical weak spot, and she knew it.

But it was _so_ delightfully fluffy.

She couldn't help running her hands through the soft down. Vegeta shifted ever so slightly, the rumbling in his throat returning to a purr, though it still had a tint of danger in the tone.

"What…do you think…you're doing…Onna?" he mumbled.

"Um…massaging you?"

"Arousing me, more like."

Bulma yanked her hands away. "What?"

He opened one eye, the other half of his face tucked into the crook of his arm. "That harpy of Kakarot's didn't tell you?"

She shook her head.

He sighed. "Go ask her."

"Why can't you tell me?" she asked, slightly afraid of his answer.

Vegeta buried the rest of his face in his arms, the tips of his ears turning slightly red with embarrassment. "Just ask her, Onna. Please don't make me explain it."

Bulma felt her face heating and quickly exited the room.

Vegeta lifted his head as she fled, his cheeks still flushing pink. So, she'd sexually aroused him without his permission, as well as without her knowledge.

It should have made him angry. He was a _Prince_ for Kami's sake! The hands of a commoner, or worse, and earthling, should not have touched him that way. He shouldn't have liked it.

Why did he like it?

* * *

><p>"What?" Bulma shrieked.<p>

"I'm sorry, Bulma. I thought you knew. Saiyans wrap their tails around their waist for a reason. In battle, if someone grips it, it feels like fire to them. It gives them the most indescribable pain you can imagine. But if someone touches it gently…" Chi Chi trailed off.

"Oh my Kami," Bulma said, her face reddening. "I cannot believe this. No wonder he didn't want to explain it! Oh, I'm never going to be able to look him in the face again!"

Chi Chi smirked. "Sure you won't. What in Kami's name possessed you to touch it anyway?"

"I'm a girly, human woman who grew up surrounded by cute, fuzzy animals. His tail was fluffy, so I petted it." Bulma glared.

The raven haired female giggled. "Their tails _are _really soft…"

"Chi Chi!"

"Don't let him hear you say that though," Chi Chi snorted. "Prince Vegeta, fluffy. That's hysterical." She looked at Bulma, biting her lip before bursting into a fit of laughter.

"This is sooo not funny, Chi," Bulma said.

"I know. I'm sorry. Just tell him you're sorry and you didn't know. It's the truth, anyway."

"I can never speak to him again," Bulma moaned, burying her face in her hands.

"Don't be ridiculous. You didn't know."

"What if he's mad at me?"

Chi Chi smirked slyly. "I highly doubt he is. Now go on before I make you."

Bulma swallowed and nodded, gathering her things before she left.

"Fluffy?" A voice said.

Chi Chi turned, grinning at her husband. "Yes, fluffy. You Saiyan's are extremely, amazingly, wonderfully fluffy."

"You know something, Chi Chi? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that sounded like a challenge," Goku replied.

"Good thing you don't know any better," Chi Chi smiled, tugging on his tail.

Goku just grinned as he scooped her into his arms, gently kissing her jaw before pulling on the hem of her shirt.

* * *

><p>"What's taking you so long, Miyamoto?" Dr. Briefs demanded.<p>

"I'm still working on it," the balding man snapped. "I don't see you all doing any work."

"What the hell could we possibly do?" Yamcha retorted. "You won't tell us what you're working on!"

"I'm working on something to find Miss Briefs by tracking her bio-signature and the electromagnetic currents from her belt. And maybe, it would be easier to concentrate on if you would shut up and get back to work on that containing device I told you to build!"

"Son of a –"

"Yamcha!" 18 snapped. "Just shut up and do as he says. We haven't got a choice."

"Hmph." Yamcha said.

"Hey guys?" Krillin spoke up. "I don't know about this. It kinda looked like she went voluntarily to me. I mean, she climbed on his back…"

"For all you know," Nakamura said helpfully, scratching his fuzzy black head, "he threatened her into doing so. Or he tricked her. Even monkeys can lie."

"So can backstabbing bastards like you," 18 spat.

Both men glared at her. She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulders, turning back to the oversized gun she was designing. It was much like a net gun, except it didn't shoot nets, and capsulizing technology had been worked into the blueprints.

"Dammit, Bulma," 18 muttered. "If you hadn't run away and forced me to do this, this would have been a hell of an idea."

* * *

><p>The door to opened before she could knock.<p>

Vegeta stood in the doorway, his naked upper half gleaming with beads of sweat.

"Onna," he said tentatively.

"I-" she started. Her mind went blank suddenly. Damn. Bulma had spent the entire walk from Chi Chi's place thinking about what she was going to say. It'd been a lovely little speech. Now she couldn't remember a world of it.

"_Just tell him you're sorry and you didn't know. It's the truth anyway." _

"I'm sorry!" she blurted.

He blinked. Then his cheeks turned pink and he looked away. "It's…fine, Onna," he said slowly.

"Is not!" She blushed as she watched the tips of his ears turning red.

"It is if I say it is."

"Just because you say something doesn't make it so!"

"Are you really going to argue with me about this?"

"Oh, hell yes I am!"

He muttered something unintelligible.

"What?" she asked.

"Blue haired little banshee," he muttered louder.

"You are such a jerk!" she cried, poking his right pectoral. Suddenly, she blinked. "Where are your bandages?" she demanded. "And why are you all sweaty?"

He looked at his feet, avoiding her gaze. "I took them off…so I could um…train a little…"

Her eyes widened. "YOU IDIOT!" she screeched, advancing as he backed into his room. "You could have hurt yourself!" He grabbed her shoulders and held the advancing woman at arm's length. "You are such a bull headed – "

She stopped suddenly. All of his scratches and bruises were completely gone. "Wha-"

"I was healed this morning, Onna," he admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me that?" she demanded.

He grinned slightly. "Because it was fun watching you fuss over me," he smirked.

"I'm going to kill you."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Knowing my luck, that will be relatively easy," she snorted.

He chuckled, setting her back on her feet. "Can I go outside now, Onna?" he asked, clearly amused.

Bulma looked him over, not seeing one mark on his perfect, tan skin. "I suppose. Don't do anything stupid."

He grinned, disappearing into his room and returning a minute later wearing training gear. "Do I look safe enough, Onna?" he teased.

"Hmph. Go on before I push you out the window," she returned, spinning on her heels to walk away.

Vegeta's arm shot forward, spanking her gently on the butt. Bulma yelped, whirling to face him.

"What the hell was that?" she asked incredulously.

He grinned. "Payback," he said, casually stepping backwards of the ledge of his balcony.

"Stupid egotistic Prince," Bulma muttered.

* * *

><p>Tarble smiled when he saw his brother soaring in the air toward Kakarot's house.<p>

"I see the Prince is all better," a young feminine voice remarked.

"Yes," Tarble said. "Hello, Fasha."

The little Saiyan girl crawled further down the branch she'd perched on, the tree limb bending until she was upside down in front of him, her long black hair tumbling onto his lap.

"Do you want to play?" she asked.

He grinned. "Sure," he said. "What game?"

"How about revenge tag?"

One of his favorite games. "What am I trying to get revenge for?" he asked.

Fasha grinned, quickly kissing his nose before back flipping off the branch.

"See if you can get me back," she teased.

Tarble blushed furiously before taking off after her.

* * *

><p>"Is Vegeta here?" Bulma asked Chi Chi.<p>

"Yes. He's out romping around somewhere with Goku. Hmph."

Bulma grinned. "I take it you were in the middle of something?"

"Stupid demanding Royals," Chi Chi grumbled.

Bulma laughed, patting her friend on the shoulder.

"Hey Bulma? What happened to your family?" Chi Chi asked suddenly.

Bulma blinked. "Um…what do you mean?"

"Well, you've been here for like, three weeks with no sigh of going home, Vegeta hasn't chosen you, and the only things you brought with you are those capsule things. Did something happen to your home?"

The blue haired scientist shook her head. "No, nothing happened. I was exploring the Void for scientific reasons; that's how I met Vegeta. My father was with me, and so were a few old friends. And some new…enemies, I guess you could say."

"Then why are you still here instead of with them?" Chi Chi inquired.

"I don't know. I just…never went back, is all."

"Do they know about this place?" Chi Chi's voice sounded worried.

"No; 'Geta only brought me here."

The raven haired female smirked. "Geta?"

"Shut up!"

"Don't you think they're worried?"

Bulma looked like someone had slapped her.

How could she be so selfish? She hadn't once thought about how panic stricken her father must be. 18 and Krillin would be worried as well.

And maybe Yamcha too…

"Oh, Kami," Bulma breathed. "I'm so stupid – I should have…"

"Bulma," Chi Chi tried, "I wasn't trying to –"

"I have to go tell them I'm okay! They're probably panicking…I'm such an idiot! Was I that focused on my own fun? What's wrong with me?"

"You want to go home, Žena?" Vegeta asked softly.

Both women jumped. They hadn't known he was there.

Goku landed softly behind him, looking concerned. Both Saiyans were covered in sweat from their spar, their raw power making the hour long exercise far more intense than it should have been.

Bulma swallowed. "I –"

"I understand," Vegeta said quietly. His tail subconsciously drooped limply at his backside. "I'd…want to see my family too. I'm sorry, Bulma. I'll, uh, send someone to gather your things." He glanced at the floor to hide his hurt, though she saw it anyway. The Saiyan Prince inhaled, letting his breath out slowly before his feet left the ground as he slowly took to the skies.

Goku frowned, glancing at his wife before he flew after him.

Bulma's eyes filled with tears as she sank to the couch.

"Bulma…" Chi Chi said softly, putting a hand on her shaking shoulders.

"I didn't mean it like that…" Bulma choked.

Chi Chi hugged her. "I know you didn't. Men just see things differently…"

Bulma gave up trying to hold in her over spilling tears and let out a sob. "I don't want to go home," she sniffled.

"Shh. It's okay. I know you don't," Chi Chi comforted her.

Why was she so emotional about this? She knew she'd have to go home sometime.

She just didn't figure it'd be like…this.

Bulma buried her face in her friend's comforting shoulder as she cried into her hands. "Chi Chi?"

"Yeah?"

"He said my name."

"I know, B. I know."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Kinda short but it's cute so I'm happy. Review Please!**

**~KimiruMai**


	9. Brothers

**A/N: Okie dokie. I have no idea how much longer this story is going to be so bear with me. I've recently **_**almost**_** gotten over another **_**extremely severe**_** case of writers block, soo..**

**AND NOW…FOR THE MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR…**

**ENTER! MIYAMOTO AND NAKAMURA! EVERYONE'S FAVORITE BASTARDS! XD**

**Please excuse my foul language but there isn't really another way to describe them. This chappie might be slightly fluffy but eh, it's cute. **

**Thanks for all the reviews! I love reading what you guys think. I'd reply to them all but I'd pretty much be saying the same thing and I want to get on with my story cuz I'm supposed to be working on a really important paper. Lemme know if theirs any mistakes! (I'm sleepy)**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Now, if I owned Dragon Ball, DBZ, or DBGT, do you honestly think I would have let Veggie-kun cut off his beautiful flame hair? Hell, no!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: Brothers<strong>

Tarble's instincts went into hyper drive when he felt Fasha's Ki leave the city. The girl…no, she was a woman now, wasn't she? She'd gone through the ritual bravely a few days before. The little _woman_ was extremely fast, moving far away from the barriers with ease, though he had the superior strength. He leapt at a tree branch when his keen eyes caught movement, missing her by an inch.

"Can't catch me, Prince Tarble!" she taunted.

He stopped, panting slightly, closing his dark eyes as he searched for her Ki.

_There!_

He lunged, his arms latching onto her waist as they crashed to the ground. He grinned, kissing her nose like she had to make him engage in the game.

"You're it," he said, chuckling when she blushed furiously.

"You'd better watch out, Prince Tarble. I doubt our parents would like us frolicking around like this," she mused.

He grinned, thinking of his father and the tall woman that his brother had appointed to be Fasha's new mother. "No, I don't suppose they would," he said, nipping her ear. "But you forget. I am Vegeta's little brother. Therefore, I am publicly known for mischief."

She giggled, her soft laughter cutting off as she felt his smooth lips brushing against her own.

Her eyes widened suddenly as she felt a few small Ki's approaching. Tarble felt it too, lifting his head to glance behind him, his eyes scanning the trees like laser pointers

"I've almost got it," a scruffy voice said.

Both Saiyans leapt to their feet, simultaneously crouching into a battle stance.

"Well, hurry up," another said, deeper and tinged with anger.

"You aren't getting your little ex-lover back unless I get my prize first, so you should be worried about your own speed instead of complaining about mine!"

"Would you two shut up? You're giving me a headache," a pretty feminine voice snapped.

Tarble and Fasha glanced at each other. How many of these beings were there? They concentrating, sensing Ki.

_Five,_ Fasha's conscious brushed against his own.

His shook his head silently, frowning. _Six. _

She blinked, picking up the source she'd missed. _They're so weak. Probably humans. They would stand a chance against a two year old. Surely they aren't looking for Vegeta-sei. _

Tarble frowned. _Yes, I suppose. Either way, we should try to scare them away from this territory. Even human technology could screw up the cloaking device._

She nodded, following him as he lurked among the trees, stalking the humans.

They both froze as one of the human's devices locked onto their bio-signatures, an alarm sounding off the strange belts they were wearing.

"Did you find her?" a scar-faced man with dark hair asked excitedly. The blonde female looked around warily.

"No," said a tall, balding man in a white coat. "It's someone else. One of the signatures is strikingly similar to that monkey man we captured."

"Is it possible that he had relatives nearby?" A shorter man when brown hair, also wearing a lab coat, asked.

"Who cares?" An ever shorter, purple haired man snapped. "Just find my daughter."

The two Saiyan's eyes flashed. Captured? Was that why the Prince said nothing of his weeklong travels? But then…why would he bring Bulma to the city and treat her as a guest?

_If these people harmed your brother, why wouldn't he tell the king?_ Fasha asked mentally.

_Father told me something about harm coming to Vegeta, but he also said something about…infatuation, so I have no idea,_ he replied.

_Won't he want to see the people who hurt Prince Vegeta?_

Tarble nodded. They leapt forward from their perch at the same second, their eyes widening in surprise when they saw the humans were gone.

It was if they'd vanished into thin air.

Tarble's dark eyes flashed as he whirled, his lips falling open in surprise when he saw a large, black nozzle pointed in his face.

"Well, not the monkey I was looking for, but nobody said I couldn't have two or three specimens," the balding man grinned at him.

Tarble blinked involuntarily as the gun fired, encasing his body in a giant pinkish bubble. His feet slipped, his tail darting back and forth as he tried to maintain balance. Another gunshot when off, and he looked to his left to see Fasha in his same predicament.

His eyes widened as intense pain shot through his body. It felt like a Ki blast was raking and clawing through his veins. His already tall hair stood up on end, his body jerking and convulsing as he crashed to the bottom of the bubble.

What were these human's doing to them? Another glance to his left told him Fasha was experiencing the same pain.

_No,_ he thought numbly. Another jolt stung him, his consciousness springing to life for a few seconds before fading again.

_Vegeta! _His mind screamed. _Vegeta, help me! Please help us! Vegeta!_

He vaguely heard a screaming combination of his voice with Fasha's, their mutual cries etched with agony before he blacked out and the incessant pain finally ceased.

* * *

><p>She wanted to go home.<p>

Vegeta's tail wrapped around his was self-consciously as he flew, thinking about this. He glanced behind him and saw Kakarot following him, his eyes narrowed as he stared after the Prince.

Vegeta frowned, holding two fingers to his forehead as he vanished, nearly crashing into a servant that was currently straightening the mess he'd made in his room before he'd darted off to Kakarot's.

"My apologies, my Prince!" the woman cried, desperately trying to gather the things she'd dropped.

Vegeta sighed. "Calm yourself, Yume. It's alright, I wasn't paying attention. I should have locked onto my brother, but I don't think he's here."

Yume nodded vigorously. "Yes, sir! He was out playing with the little woman Fasha l ast time I saw him."

Despite his sullen mood, Vegeta felt the corners of his mouth twitching. So, Tarble was infatuated with Fasha, was he? Of course, it helped that she had upgraded her girlish status to woman. Well, the little squirt was in for it now. Yume had just given him some valuable ammunition.

"Yume, will you please send a few servants to capsulate Miss Bulma's possessions and capsulize them?" he asked, his mind turning back to the task at hand.

"Oh! Of course sir!" Yume frowned for a moment.

Vegeta sighed again. "What is it, Yume?"

She blushed. "Um, if you don't mind my asking, my Prince, why is the blue haired one leaving?"

He blinked. "What?"

"Forgive me for my bluntness, sir, but…you just seemed…happy, when she's in your presence. Happier than normal, I mean. And you don't get hurt as much either…" she trailed off.

Vegeta blinked. He'd forgotten how closely his people monitored his physical well-being. It upset them greatly when he was in the infirmary, which was normally quite often.

"I suppose that's because she keeps me occupied," he said softly. "But she wants to go home, and I'm not forcing her to stay."

Yume's eyes widened. "She wants to leave?"

"As far as I can gather, yes."

The servant woman frowned. "Maybe you should speak to her a little before you jump to such extreme conclusions, my Prince."

Now it was Vegeta's turn to look shocked. "Yume…did you just talk back to me?"

Fear enveloped in her tiny features as she bowed sharply. "Forgive me! I didn't mean –"

"Yume, it's fine. Actually, thank you. I think I will."

She brightened. "Oh, um, your welcome. That's what I told my brother when he was being difficult about his woman, is all. Sisterly reflexes, you know."

He blushed. "She's not my –"

"I should get back to work. Have a nice day, Prince Vegeta!" she called cheerfully before prancing down the hallway.

Vegeta shook his head as he laid on his bed for the next forty five minutes, thinking about what Yume had said.

Women never ceased to baffle him.

* * *

><p>"What do I tell him?" Bulma asked, finally regaining her composure.<p>

"Good grief, Bulma! Just tell him you need to tell them you're okay and that you want to stay here longer. It's not that big of a deal," Chi Chi scoffed.

The blue haired woman sniffed, nodding. "I guess. What if he doesn't believe me?"

"Does he have a reason not to?"

"No…"

"Alright then."

Damn those two words. They were capable of simultaneously winning and closing any argument, guaranteed.

Goku flashed in front of them suddenly. "I tried to follow him, but he used instant transmission and now he's suppressing his Ki. So I came back here," he finished lamely.

"What's instant transmission?" Bulma asked.

Goku blinked. He'd never really had to explain it before – the name pretty much self-explanatory. "Um, you put your fingers on your forehead and concentrate on someone else's Ki, and then you teleport to where they are."

"That's just like my belt!" Bulma cried excitedly. "Well, sort of, but not that cool. Damn, I wish I could control Ki!"

Goku flashed his usual goofy grin before he frowned again, scratching the back of his head. "He seemed really upset, Bulma."

She frowned too. "I figured," she murmured.

Goku sighed. "If he wasn't so damn good at cloaking his mind, I could find him. He's got a thousand hiding places that even Nappa doesn't know about."

"Cloaking his mind?"

"Yeah. We can communicate telepathically with others in our minds. It's a blessing and a curse."

Bulma blinked, about to ask what he meant, then decided against it. Her head hurt already. "Do you have to be a Saiyan to do it?" she asked.

Goku shrugged. "Not necessarily. I mean, everyone in the pack can do it with Chi Chi, but she's my life mate, so I'm not really sure."

Bulma thought about this for a second. "Is there any specific way you have to do this?"

"Not really," Chi Chi answered, "You pretty much just think about the person you are trying to talk to and envision yourself in their mind. You have to think softly though, or you'll hurt them."

Bulma nodded, closing her eyes. She wondered if…

_Vegeta? _

An almost audible pause. _Onna, what the hell are you doing in my head?_

Bulma blinked, hurt.

She felt a sigh, thought it wasn't hers. _Let me rephrase: how are you inside my mind?_

_Um, Chi Chi and Goku kinda told me you guys have a mental link-_

_That does not explain why you were able to penetrate my mental barrier._

_Um…I don't know. I just said your name, and you answered. _

Another pause. _Dammit. _

_What? _

She felt him blushing, but the reason why he was doing so was safely guarded from her as if his life depended on it.

_Nothing. _

'_I need to talk to you,' _they both thought concurrently.

_Come here,_ Bulma said.

Vegeta appeared in front of her in a flash of silver light.

Goku gaped. "Wha – Where did you…" He looked at Bulma, the shock on his face becoming evidently greater as he realized she was the one who'd summoned the Prince. "But I couldn't even –"

"Shut up, Kakarot," Vegeta growled, his cheeks flushing.

"Um…" Bulma interrupted. Vegeta fixed his obsidian orbs on her pale features, his eyes reading the heavily strewn emotions on her face. "I was thinking –"

"Do you wish to return home, Onna?" he asked bluntly.

Bulma opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. "Um…no, not really…but I need to see my parents and my friends to tell them where I am. I've been gone a little over three weeks now, and they must be pani-"

"Then I will take you to them, and we will depart after you've had your necessary conversations," he stated, folding his arms. "You may gather more of your possessions if you wish before we return here."

Bulma's smile widened. He wasn't angry. "Thank y-"

Without any type of warning, Vegeta's eyes suddenly widened, a moan escaping his lips as he doubled over, clutching his head.

"Vegeta!" Bulma cried, rushing to him. "What's wrong?"

Goku groaned too, although his hurt was visibly not as intense as Vegeta's was. Chi Chi looked she was in pain too, though not nearly as much, most likely because she was human. The raven haired female ignored her pain, which was nothing more than an intense headache, swaying slightly as she struggled to make her way to her husband.

Vegeta's moans turned to screams laced with agony. Snarls ripped from his throat as he shook his head violently, trying to shake loose the torment inside his mind.

"Vegeta! What's going on?" Bulma's voice rose in panic.

He sank to his knees, his breath catching in his lungs as his collapsed on the ground, withering in anguish. Bulma tried to catch him, but didn't make it. They both crashed as she made an effort to support him with the one arm she'd managed to get around his waist. His tail darted out blindly, lashing at the air above them as if it had a mind of its own.

"Vegeta, look at me!" she ordered. He forced his eyes open as she pried his fingers from his own black mane. "Tell me what's wrong right now!"

"Tarble," he moaned. "Tarble…he's…I h-have to…s-save him…" his breath came out ragged with each word, like it took extreme effort to speak.

_Tarble?_ she wondered. What could possibly have attacked the young prince that he couldn't possibly handle on his own? An Ice-jin maybe? She shuddered, remembering how Vegeta described them as monsters without revealing any more terrifying information to keep her up at night.

Vegeta inhaled sharply, his tail curling and uncurling as it jerked. "Those bastard scientist, hurting my little brother," he hissed, groaning as he blacked out. At the same time, Goku slid to the floor, gasping as he finally regained his ability to breathe.

Bulma's eyes widened with realization. "They didn't…" she whispered. "Surely they didn't…"

Chi Chi rubbed her temples. "Tarble must be hurt," she said. "That's why they're in pain. If someone in our pack or clan is close to us, we can sometimes feel what they feel."

Bulma felt herself blushing, think about feelings or situations Vegeta may or may not have accidentally shared. Chi Chi noticed immediately and elaborated. "Just, like, pain or sadness. Things that involuntary causes fatigue."

Well, that was better, if only slightly. "Are they going to be okay?" she asked, concern etched in her voice.

Goku's head shot up suddenly, horror sewn into his features. "That was awful," he whispered. "Tarble must be in extreme pain." He shivered. "It felt like…like someone lit my Ki on fire, like it was burning in my veins…"

_Shit,_ Bulma thought.

"Is Prince Vegeta okay?" the tall Saiyan demanded. He growled when he saw Vegeta lying on the floor. "Whoever did this to our Princes are going to pay." His eyes widened suddenly as he jumped to his feet. "The King is probably out like a light too!"

As if trying to spite his Gamma member's words, Vegeta opened his eyes. "Kakarot," he ordered, his arms shaking as he pushed himself onto his knees, "Go see my father. Tell him Tarble has been kidnapped and I am going to retrieve him." Goku nodded, but before he could fly away, the screeching of a certain blue haired harpy interrupted him.

"Are you _insane_?" Bulma cried. "They'll do the same thing they did last time! They'll shoot you down and capture you. Then where will we be?"

"Then what do you suggest I do, Onna?" he yelled. "They've got Tarble, and Fasha too, and I'm getting them back!"

"Come up with a plan first, idiot!"

"What plan could I possibly devise besides barge in, kill them all, and bring him home?"

"You can't kill them! That's my father and my friends!"

"Then I'll spare them and kill those two imbeciles to dared to raise a hand against the Royal House of Vegeta!"

She sighed, folding her arms. "How about we make a trade?" she said.

He raised an eyebrow.

"They're most likely after me, so if you trade me for Tarble then –"

"Absolutely not," he hissed.

She gaped for a second, then closed her mouth. "Why not?"

"I'm not trading you like common goods, woman!"

"Would you stop being stupid? I'll just tell them everything once the deal is over and I can come back!"

"That's cheating!"

"Not if I come willingly! I don't want to leave here, and I'll want to come back! It's different!"

"No," he snarled.

"You're being irrational, Vegeta!"

"I'm not going through with this, Bulma!" he roared.

Once again she was rendered speechless. Two times in one day? He must be really stressed.

He stared at her gaping expression. "What is it now, Woman?"

She just swallowed, shaking her head. _You said my name,_ she whispered, her conscious brushing his own.

He raised an eyebrow. _So?_

_You always call me woman, or Onna, or Žena. Are you that worried?_

He scoffed, blushing slightly at her reasoning. She put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Vegeta. They'll understand. I can come back. I promise."

He grunted, shrugging nonchalantly as he stalked outside.

Bulma sighed. Saiyans.

Goku smiled a little, finally getting enough concentration to leave, transporting to the palace. The king was indeed out cold, just as he'd predicted. Well, Vegeta had told him to stay here, so he wouldn't interfere even though he didn't fully support the Prince's plan.

_Be careful, Vegeta,_ he thought softly to himself.

_Shut up._

Goku chuckled. Apparently, his thoughts weren't as quiet as he'd planned.

* * *

><p>That woman was crazy if she thought it would be fine and dandy to use her as bait.<p>

Vegeta paced back and forth on a high tree branch, his bare feet never slipping as they skimmed across the bark.

So, the bastards had his brother. Obviously, Tarble needed recuing. No doubt, they'd…what did the woman call it…electrocuted him. The pain he'd felt mentally had been too similar to the pain he'd felt first hand.

He was always so skilled with strategy. If someone was stronger than him, he always beat them with strategy. He was a strategic genius, just as a Saiyan Prince should be.

So why couldn't he come up with a plan?

Half of his brain was desperately focused on his baby brother, the little boy he'd held at eight years old, the squirming child he'd taken into his over protective care after he'd watched his mother slip away.

The rest of his mind, however, kept drifting back to the blue haired woman. Vegeta sighed and rubbed his temples. He could feel several consciousness's nudging his own gently. His entire pack had felt the pain, and each member was searching for him, save Kakarot. He could feel Nappa and Raditz's minds thudding against his head frantically, and finally gave up trying to force them back.

_I'm fine,_ he barked.

An almost audible sigh of relieve came from both Saiyans. _Are you sure, my Prince? That pain…_

_I said I was fine, didn't I?_

_Yes; forgive me, Majesty._

_Stop calling me that. _

_My apologies, Prince Vegeta. _

He sighed. Raditz wasn't one who was so greedy for power as to suck up to him, but Kami, he was so _formal_. It grated on Vegeta's nerves. Yes, he demanded respect because of his royal blood, but more so, he wanted respect because of _who_ he was, not _what_ he was.

Nappa was silent for a moment, tugging the information from his Prince's thoughts. _Should I assemble the pack, my Prince?_

_No._

_Sir?_

_I'm going after him myself. If I need you, I will summon you. Understood?_

Both of them nodded, finally letting their conscious slip away from his.

But one mind was still there, lingering.

_WOMAN! _He growled.

He felt her jump inside the house, startled. She rushed outside the house, a flash of panic igniting in her eyes. "What?"

He glared at her. "Get out of my mind. You're giving me a headache."

She blinked. "But I'm not –"

"Yes, you are! I can't think straight!"

She cowered, and he softened immediately. "I'm sorry…" she whispered, tears forming. "I can't…"

"Hush, Onna," he said, more gently this time. He gripped the branch he'd been standing on, swinging to a lower one just above her head, letting his tail catch him as he rested his feet on the tree. "You just need to control it. Just…think about moving away from me. Pull back."

She obeyed, crying out as she did so. He winced as the shrill sound reached his ears, and as he felt a sharp pain in the base of his head, where his neck met his skull.

"Wha-" she started. Her voice caught. Vegeta flinched again, knowing she was about to start sobbing. "What's…I feel so…" she sniffed, gasping slightly when she saw a flash of movement, and felt strong arms suddenly around her.

"Alone?" he whispered, his lips brushing her wavy blue hair. She nodded, burying her face in his muscular chest.

He sighed, his breath tickling her neck. "I suppose that means you've bonded to me, woman. Now that there is only your conscious inside you, you feel completely and utterly alone."

Bulma blinked, realizing he was right. _Are humans all like that, then? Without this bond, do we all feel alone, and are just used to it? And now that I've felt…not lonely…_

"It's awful," she wailed. "It feels like I'm stuck in a big black nothingness!"

He sighed. "I didn't say you had to withdraw woman. Just, stopping shoving me like that."

Shoving? She hadn't been shoving. Well, okay, maybe she'd been poking at his mind a little…but shoving? This was a bit more delicate than she imagined.

Bulma slowly eased herself back into Vegeta's mind, smiling when she felt the warmth in the back of her conscious.

He released her, much to her surprise and…dismay?

"Get ready, Woman. I'll try your ridiculous plan," he grumbled.

She grinned. "It'll be fine, Vegeta. I'll go in first and let Tarble and Fasha out, you take them home, then come back for me. And you can even scare Miyamoto and Nakamura a little bit."

"Hmph."

Bulma giggled. Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you want to come back so much, Onna?"

She blinked, surprised by his question. Then she glared. "Oh, is it a _problem_ then? Am I a _burden_ to you?"

His mouth fell open a little. If she wasn't currently pissed, Bulma might have laughed at his completely baffled expression. "I…no, I just, uh-"

"If I'd realized it was such a _problem_ for me to stay here then I would have left a long time ago!"

He imagined the look on his face might resemble Kakarot's expression right before his mate brought the iron skillet down on his head. "Bulma, that's not – I didn't – "

_Wow, three times in one day. I'm on a roll._ Bulma thought. "I can't believe you! Who do you think you are? I don't care if you are a Prince, _no one_ tells Bulma Briefs she's not wanted and lives to tel –"

Her rant was stopped abruptly as she felt warm lips resting softly against her own. Her eyes widened as she held back a squeak, whether from complete shock or excitement she would never know.

Vegeta was kissing her.

His lips were firm, like they were more than literally built for the art, and yet they were deliciously soft, tender. His kiss was tentative, willing to take what he wanted, yet capable of pulling back if his lips were refused. His tail flickered behind him, alive with interest.

Bulma's heart skipped enough beats to ensure her a very early death, yet she kept standing, despite the fact that her legs had turned to jelly.

Her body never froze or tensed in any way; she just stood there, inwardly gaping. Vegeta had gone perfectly still, not frozen either, just still by Saiyan standards, even though he could have passed for a statue in human culture. He showed no sign of pushing forward, nor any sign of retreating. He wasn't going to do anything until the blue haired woman responded to him.

He wasn't sure what had made him do it. Maybe the anger on her face. He hadn't been trying to make her angry, honest he wasn't. He had only been curious.

She'd been angry with him before. But mostly about trivial things, like how he didn't take care of himself well enough and how he would eventually have to stop breaking his headboard, despite his otherwise OCD clean room. But she'd never been truly angry, to the point of not speaking to him.

It scared him, that idea did. The thought of her hating him…

He didn't like it _at all._

His body had simply finished the thought his mind neglected to. He just…

Moved.

A million thoughts skimmed through his mind in the two seconds that he stood there.

What would she think? Would she kiss him back? Would she reject him? Damn, that would hurt. Was he crazy? He was only male. But it wasn't lust. He didn't _want_ her body, he just wanted to be around her. That was good enough, wasn't it? But he was a Prince! He should have chosen a Saiyan woman! But they all wanted a Prince; maybe Bulma would want _Him. _Maybe she would want _Vegeta._ But what if –

His ramble of thoughts was interrupted when he felt her lips moving under his own; she was returning his gesture.

The kiss was gentle, hesitant, yet rough and passionate. They didn't open their mouths to let their tongues explore the other's, just let their lips caress. It was dangerous, taunting; yet at the same time it was innocent, pure and…right.

Bulma moved her lips in sync to her Prince's, catching herself in thought.

Yes, her Prince. She'd been subconsciously calling him that for a while now.

Hers.

The wind pulled at their hair, as if reminding them of the situation. They pulled apart simultaneously, not from lack of breath, just because the universe demanded it at that current time.

She stared into his onyx orbs, noting their depth. His dark eyes were like a burning black flame, tainted with both mischief and wisdom that was clearly beyond his years.

"Why did you ask me that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I…" his cheeks flushed pink again, and Bulma found herself smiling at the shyness exhibited by the reserved Saiyan. "I just…I was curious, is all."

"That's not a legitimate answer, Vegeta."

He paused, thinking for a minute. "Why do you like it here so much?"

She blinked. "I don't know. I just like it."

"Because of the city? The culture? The tech? What?"

She shuffled her feet. "Well, partly, I guess. But I imagine it wouldn't be as fun if you weren't here."

Huh. So he wasn't temperamental.

"We'd better go," she said, changing the subject. He nodded, gently taking her hand and hoisting her onto his back as he reached for his spear.

* * *

><p>Bulma would never, ever, under <em>any<em> circumstances, _ever_ get used to running at Vegeta's speed. It was absolutely magnificent.

She wasn't sure what she liked the most; the wind blowing in her hair like she was flying (not _that _literally) or the fact that the wind was wafting his lemony scent to her nostrils.

She still didn't understand how someone who ran around the forest bare footed and hunting animals with his bare hands could smell so strongly of her new favorite fruit, but he did. And it was mouthwateringly mocking.

They caught up with the humans quickly. It wasn't that hard, not with his speed. Vegeta lowered Bulma on to the branch behind him, leaning forward to observe the camp.

A feral growl escaped his lips when he saw his brother lying unconscious beside Fasha in the very cage he'd once been kept in.

Bulma put a hand on his shoulder. "Vegeta. Calm down. I'll get him out, I promise."

He glanced at her, nodding. He shrank back into the brush as Bulma carefully lowered herself to the ground.

"You've got your damn experiment, now find my daughter!" Dr. Briefs was yelling. Krillin, 18 and Yamcha stood behind him to back him up in his rant.

Vegeta bit back another growl when the tall, skinny, balding man exited the tent nearby. "I can't find her, doctor. I thought I could track her belt by using sonic waves instead of electromagnetic transmissions, but it failed. There's nothing I can do."

"You son of a bitch!" 18 screeched, slapping him. "You lied to us!" Miyamoto's lizard green eyes glared at her.

"Miss Gero," he said calmly. "I assure you, I truly thought I could find Miss Briefs, but the transmitter malfunctioned when we got to the area that we found the specimens in."

"Sure you did, Miyamoto. _Or_, you got what you wanted and quit the search," Bulma said, stepping into the clearing. Instantly, she was enveloped in hugs from her father and her friends, crying and yelling at her at the same time, demanding where she had been and why she hadn't come home.

Finally, after she scrambled out of their clutches, she began explaining. "Look, I missed you guys too, but I was never in any danger. Time just got away from me. But you have to let those two go."

Yamcha blinked. "Wha-Bulma, what does that have to do with anything?"

Bulma pointed at Tarble. "He," she said, "is a Prince. And if you don't release him, there's going to be consequences."

Miyamoto and Nakamura laughed wickedly. "Consequences, Miss Briefs?" Nakamura sneered. "Such as?"

"Such as his big brother coming to get him, and _not_ sparing your lives."

They snickered. "Aww, family time. Let's see it then, Miss Briefs," Miyamoto urged. "Show us this fearsome 'big brother' you're so certain about."

Bulma smirked. "You already know him; it shouldn't be so surprising."

A savage growl erupted from the trees, so animal like it made Bulma's hair stand on end. Vegeta swung from branch to branch, snarling. Just scare them, she'd said, so scare them he shall.

Krillin and Yamcha dropped into defensive stances. "What's that?" Yamcha asked cautiously.

Vegeta almost laughed. This weakling actually thought he would stand a chance against him.

Bulma chuckled. "Alright, Vegeta. They're quaking in their boots. You can come out now."

Grumbling at having his fun interrupted, he leapt gracefully from the top of a tree, straightening his body like a diver before he somersaulted in the air and landed in front of her.

"Give me my brother," he snarled.

Miyamoto looked delighted. "Nakamura," he said. "Get the gun…"

The shorter rat-faced man grinned like the Cheshire cat, running to do as he ordered.

"Miss Briefs!" Miyamoto continued. "You brought him back! This is fantastic! We must begin testing right away –"

"You're a damn fool if you think I'm getting back in that appalling cage!" Vegeta growled.

The scientist chuckled. "I'd forgotten you could speak, monkey. I figured this was your little brother; he looks exactly like you. I just didn't figure Miss Briefs would be so kind as to bring you to me on a silver platter."

Vegeta growled, knowing full well that Bulma hadn't betrayed him.

Nakamura came out of a building holding the large gun 18 had constructed. "Now, be good and get inside, or I _will_ shoot you," he warned.

Vegeta snorted. As if such a pathetic contraption could hurt him!

"Vegeta," Bulma warned. "That's a captivity device, not a gun. Don't let him shoot you."

The Saiyan Prince looked closer. She was right; it wasn't a gun. But what kind of captivity…

"Last warning, monkey man," Miyamoto said.

Vegeta's muscles tensed as he prepared to spring.

Just as his feet left the ground, Nakamura fired, and missed, due to the gun short circuiting when coming in range with Vegeta's hot blue Ki.

Miyamoto didn't.

The needle sunk into his flesh. At the sharp, unexpected pain, he lost his balance and fell.

"Vegeta!" Bulma shrieked.

He grimaced, pulling the needle from his person as he wondered why he felt like his veins were on fire instead of feeling dizzy . "For the love of Kami, Woman, Stop your screeching! I'm not dying!"

"Not yet, you aren't."

Bulma glared at the man who'd shot the Prince. "What do you mean?"

Miyamoto gave her a lopsided smirk. "I mean," he said, "that cartridge wasn't full of sedatives. It was full of a very fatal toxin."

Toxin. Damn.

"You give him the damn antidote right now!" Bulma screamed.

"Not until he follows my orders."

"You dirty…"

Vegeta struggled to his feet, his thoughts drowning out the loud threats Bulma was dishing on Miyamoto.

His muscles were burning, aching. His vision clouded, his heart racing in his chest. None the less…

_It burns…make it stop…it hurts!...Tarble…_

He could feel Kakarot, Raditz and Nappa in the back of his mind…they were hurting too.

_Have to free Tarble…_

He could tell that the chamber was being filled with knockout gas to keep the Saiyans inside unconscious.

Well. He'd just have to fix that little flaw.

A Ki blast formed in his hand, and he hurled it at the gas tanks, which disintegrated instead of exploding from the intense heat. He stumbled to the control panel, briefly glancing at the control panel. He remembered seeing Bulma enter the codes many times, so if he could just remember the pattern in her movements…

"Vegeta!" Bulma yelled. "Stop moving around, you idiot! You're going to make the toxins spread faster!"

He knew that already.

He entered in a few numbers, and the door swung open. The knock out gas flowed out of the chamber almost instantly. Tarble and Fasha stirred, the clean, fresh air already licking at their lungs.

"Dammit! Nakamura, do something!" Miyamoto yelled.

"Like what?" the shorter man yelled back, raking his nervous hairs through his brown hair. "You're the one with the gun!"

That's right; he was. And a tranquilizer wasn't the only type of gun he had.

In seconds, the tall, gangly man had Bulma in a headlock, the pistol pointed at her head.

A feral growl full of rage ripped from Vegeta's throat. "Let go of her!" he snarled.

"Miyamoto, you leave her out of this!" Yamcha yelled consecutively.

"Leave my daughter alone!" Dr. Briefs cried.

"Miss Briefs is free to go if you three _monkeys_ get back in that cage where you belong!" Miyamoto shot back.

Vegeta stepped forward, determined to rescue his woman…

Yes. _His_ woman. His and only his. And if that bastard didn't get his revolting hands off of her, he was going to pay.

Tarble recovered first. He opened his eyes just in time to see his brother sink to his knees, his shaking arms the only thing that kept him from collapsing.

_Something's wrong…_Tarble thought, his mind still foggy. The second thing he saw was Fasha lying beside him, quiet groans escaping her lips. Finally, his eyes wandered to Bulma, who was in the tall man's hold.

Now, that upset Tarble to a certain degree. He _liked_ Bulma; she made his brother happy, and even got him to stop being so reckless.

He staggered to his feet, making his way out of the cage.

He had to stop this. It was his foolish decision that caused this. He had to fix it.

His brother was hurting and Bulma was in danger. It must be stopped.

Tarble growled, leaping forward.

_So dizzy…_

Miyamoto saw the Prince's slowed movements, just in time to take the gun from Bulma's head…

**BANG!**

Vegeta's ears stung at the deafening sound.

They didn't however, ring loud enough to block out Tarble's muffled cry of pain.

"NO!" he yelled.

Tarble's breath hitched in his throat as he crashed to the ground, blood spurting from the wound in his abdomen. His vision clouded, his ears ringing as he heard his brother screaming, Bulma sobbing and screeching, and eventually Fasha's loud cries.

_So much pain…_

He felt Vegeta's hands gripping him, his deep voice yelling at him to stay awake…

_So Much Pain…_

He finally opened his mouth, expecting a scream to come out. Instead, the young Prince's eyes widened as he surprised himself with his own words.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Vegeta stared at him, then his face contorted with anger. "You shut up!" he shouted. "You shut up right now! Like this is your fault! I swear to Kami, Tarble, if you ever say that again I'll –"

Tarble blacked out before he could hear the rest of his elder sibling's rant, his Ki and Life Force shrinking until it was almost undetectable.

Vegeta's shoulders sank. "Tarble…" he choked.

"No…" Bulma whispered.

"My Prince," Fasha whimpered.

Vegeta stood slowly, the rage boiling under his skin overwhelming the fire from the toxins. His dark eyes looked like that of a blood-thirsty demon as he turned his icy stare on Miyamoto. The obsessive scientist cowered ever so slightly.

"What. The hell. Have you done?" he ground out.

* * *

><p>"<em>Vegeta," Queen Rosicheena said softly. "Come here." <em>

_The eight year old Prince obeyed, peering at the tiny bundle in his mother's arms._

"_This is your little brother," his mother said, staring at the bundle lovingly. "What should we name him, Vegeta?"_

_The Prince blinked. "I don't know," he said. _

_She smiled. "I like Tarble," she said. _

_He shrugged. "So name him Tarble."_

_She laughed. "Oh, Vegeta." Her beautiful smile faded ever so slightly. "Vegeta, you know you and your brother mean the world to me, don't you?"_

_He nodded. Her shoulders relaxed. "Good. And be easy on your father, will you? He means well." _

_Vegeta blinked as his mother abruptly handed him the sleeping child. "Mother?" he asked. _

_She took his free hand and squeezed it gently. "Promise me," she said, "promise me you'll take good care of him for me." _

"_I-I will," he said. She smiled at him one more time, then closed her eyes. _

"_But, Mother…" Vegeta said. "Why can't you take care of him?" She didn't answer. "Mother?"_

_He couldn't feel her Ki. Nurses and doctors rushed into the room as a machine started beeping loudly. Vegeta just stood there, holding his brother in shock._

_His mother was gone. She was really gone._

_He looked down at the child in his arms. The baby had spiky, flame hair that matched his own, with light, tan skin that matched his mother's. The baby opened its eyes, not uttering a sound, as if he knew that would only cause more chaos. _

_Vegeta stared at those eyes. They were beautiful, he decided. Dark, onyx orbs that shone with intelligence._

"_Tarble…" he whispered. His baby brother looked up at him and smiled._

* * *

><p>Hatred shone in Vegeta's eyes like a burning fire. Miyamoto cowered, the gun shaking in his hands.<p>

He was deprived of energy, so much so that he couldn't sense his brother's almost undetectable Ki.

"You...you killed him." He said. His drained Ki skyrocketed suddenly, his blue aura lightening until it was a bright light that outshone the sun.

"You. Killed. My. Brother!" he screamed. His dark, furious eyes, lightened and darkened like someone had flipped an unstable switch, his black hair flickering from black to gold and back again.

Finally, his Ki spiked to an immeasurable level, his fury shining in his now turquoise eyes, brighter than the sun that shone on his now golden hair.

Miyamoto flinched visibly, the teal orbs that were Vegeta's eyes cutting through him like knives.

They looked like the eyes of a psychotic animal, yet so much more intelligent…

And so much more blood thirsty.

"You," the Super Saiyan Prince hissed. "You killed my only brother. You killed him with that stupid little device of yours. You killed him. And for that, you will have all hell to pay."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: CLIFFIE! I know, you all hate me and I'm evil. And to top it all off, it's finals week, so I'll probably have no time to write until we get out for Christmas. **

**Don't eat me!**

**Sorry it took so long…I'm supposed to be working on a super important paper….**

**REVIEW OR I'LL SIC VEGGIE-KUN ON YOU!**

**Vegeta: You'll what?**

**Okay sorry. I had to. XD REVIEW!**

**~KimiruMai**


	10. Legendary

**A/N: Peoples Peoples peoples. **

**Didn't I tell you Tarbie isn't dead? Veggie just thinks he is. **

**But that was heartbreaking, wasn't it? **

**GUESS WHAT! I STARTED ANOTHER STORY! **_**ALTER EGO**_**! READ IT PLEASE! AND REVIEW! MUY IMPORTANTE!**

**Now, let me teach you all some math.**

**Views + Hits = Reviews. Reviews + Author = Inspiration. Inspiration + Author = More Chappies. More Chappies + More Viewers = More Reviews. More Reviews + Author = HAPPY AUTHOR AND MORE CHAPPIES!**

**See the pattern? XD**

**XDarkAngelOfLoveX: Yes, I know, I'm horrid XD**

**Anny: I promise I won't cut Veggie-kun's hair EVER **

**Cara2012: That would be a cruel cliffie, wouldn't it? XD Actually I thought about it but then I'm like, I can't be that mean to you guys **

**Disclaimer: Now, people who come to sue me, I'm absolutely flattered than you think my writing is good enough to match up to Akira-sensei's. However, seeing as I am a beautiful, smart, gorgeous, youthful, striking young woman, I obviously can't be Akira Toriyama, because he is a man.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: Legendary<strong>

"You," the Super Saiyan Prince hissed. "You killed my only brother. You killed him with that stupid device of yours. You killed him. And for that, you will have all hell to pay."

"What the –" Miyamoto barely had time to react before a punch to the jaw sent him crashing into trees, landing at least 200 yards away. Vegeta caught Bulma as she fell from Miyamoto's grasp, surprisingly gentle for all the raw power omitting from his body. His golden tail flickered angrily behind him, it's movements giving away his intense fury as it did with every emotion.

"Vegeta?" Bulma asked.

"Stay back," he said.

She blinked, and he was gone.

Miyamoto staggered to his feet, his broken jaw slack. He winced. Scratch that; his _shattered_ jaw was slack.

Why the hell had the monkey's hair turned blonde? And sure, maybe Miyamoto wasn't super strong, but the man's strength…

Vegeta was upon him in seconds, tossing the scrawny scientist into the air before he spun, kicking him all the way back to camp.

Nakamura screamed as his fellow co-worker crashed head first into him. Both of them screamed in agony as their bones shattered.

_Flash._

They yelped helplessly as he appeared once again, his teal eyes laced with fury.

"You," he spat, "do not deserve to be killed by something as magnificent as a Super Saiyan. Only a worthy adversary should have the honor of dying by my hand. However, considering your offense, I will make an exception."

He picked Miyamoto up by the throat. The terrified man whimpered, choking. "Please…don't kill me –"

Vegeta growled. "Why shouldn't I? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't." his grip tighten. Miyamoto gasped for air. "You captured me, you shot that strange Ki blast into me, you pointed a gun to Bulma's head, and you killed my brother. Give me one good reason why I should spare your pathetic life."

Choking gurgles were his only answer.

Bulma scrambled over to Tarble's body. There was an ugly wound in his abdomen, just below his lungs.

He was breathing.

"Oh, Kami…" she whispered. "Tarble, can you hear me?" she asked. "Tarble?"

Her father, Yamcha, 18 and Krillin were now at her side. "Bulma, what's going on?" Yamcha demanded.

"You helped him with this," Bulma hissed. "How could you? You should have just found me on your own."

The Prince's eyes flickered. Fasha shrieked with relief as she staggered to her feet stumbling out of the cage. Newfound strength pulsed through her with her emotions as she sprinted to him. "My Prince," she gasped out. "Tarble, say something. _Anything._ Tarble!"

His eyes fluttered again, his lashes brushing his cheeks before he forced his eyes open. "Fasha?" he whispered, sounding surprised. He turned his gaze to the blue haired woman, who was trying to sit him up slowly. "Bulma?" she nodded absentmindedly. "Where's my brother?" he demanded weakly.

She jerked her head toward a flashing yellow aura. "He's over there, beating the shit out of Miyamoto. 18, give me the emergency supply capsule." The blonde obeyed, opening the capsule and handing her supplies to treat a gun wound. "Hold still," Bulma said. Thank Kami for her over protective parents, making her take a paramedics course when they did, despite her lack of college. She used surgical tweezers to remove the bullet from his flesh, which luckily wasn't deep because of his armor. He winced, groaning as she finally removed it and wrapped gauze around his torso.

"What happened to me?" he asked.

"Miyamoto shot you," Bulma said, gritting her teeth.

"But…there was metal…in my stomach…"

"Human weaponry," Fasha spat.

He nodded feebly, closing his eyes. Nearly a second later they flashed open again as he realized something.

His brother's aura was blue, not yellow.

"What the…" he breathed, glancing over Bulma's shoulder.

Vegeta stood in the middle of the human camp, holding Miyamoto by the throat. His teal eyes looked positively murderous, and his blonde hair gleamed in the sun. His body was engulfed in giant flames of golden aura, power literally radiating from every inch of him

"He's become Legendary," Tarble whispered. "He's really done it. After nearly five centuries, he's actually done it."

"Legendary?" Bulma asked.

Tarble nodded. "_When burning fury consumes all conscious, out of the ashes will arise the Legendary, a warrior pure of heart and awakened by rage._ That is the legend of our people. The transformation has been sought after for centuries, and Vegeta had finally done it. I can't believe it."

"Our Prince is truly remarkable," Fasha said.

"Yes," Tarble murmured.

"I don't understand," Krillin piped up.

"Hmph," Tarble said, glaring at the human warrior. "You wouldn't. To comprehend such a power is impossible."

"I'm waiting," he heard Vegeta say.

"I'll do whatever you want!" Miyamoto cried. "I'll help improve your technology, I'll upgrade your weaponry, I'll be your servant if you want!"

Vegeta laughed bitterly. "You're a fool. As if you could possibly do anything. Bulma couldn't even figure out our technology without me to teach her. You can't upgrade our weaponry; we use it to fight Ice-jins, for Kami's sake. And what an insult! I am a Prince of the Royal House of Vegeta. As if I can't have as many servants as I could possibly want at the snap of my fingers."

Miyamoto whimpered, his pathetic attempts to save himself thwarted. Below him, Nakamura made a similar squeak, quivering with fear.

Vegeta snorted. "You know what the worst part is? I'm so pissed right now, I could go all out, but I can barely use under one percent of my power, or I would kill you instantly. And that wouldn't be very fair, now would it? I can't have you die a quick, painless death after you've killed my brother. You deserve to suffer."

Tarble blinked. Vegeta thought he was dead?

That would mean…

Vegeta had become a Super Saiyan only because of his fury at the fact that his little brother was gone.

"He did that for me," Tarble stated softly.

Bulma nodded. "He thought you were dead. I've never seen him so angry. It's scary as hell, but he was still gentle when he caught me. With that much power, I'm amazed he's still in control."

"He became a Super Saiyan because of me," he said again. Then his eyes widened. "Bulma, he can't kill Miyamoto."

"He can't?"

"No! It's against our customs! You cannot kill unless avenging someone or protecting your family against a worthy adversary."

Bulma sighed. "I'll try to make him stop," she said. "Fasha, put your hand here and push gently. You have to cut off the pressure or he'll bleed to death." The little woman nodded, taking Bulma's place, both Saiyan's blushing slightly as they noticed where her hand was.

"Vegeta!" Bulma yelled.

He ignored her.

Now, that pissed her off. Here she was trying to tell him something important, and he wasn't responding. Besides that, ignoring a woman was one of her pet peeves.

"Vegeta! If you don't answer me right now I swear to Kami I'll drop a rock on that gold tail of yours!" she shrieked.

He glared at her, the murderous look in his eyes softening as he turned to face his woman. "What do you want, you Blue Haired Little Banshee?" he hissed. "I'm busy!"

Bulma rolled her eyes, for once not furious at his annoying nickname for her. "Busy with what? Even if they get away, which they won't, you'll find them easily. You know as well as I do that they can't hide their Ki. Besides, Tarble says don't kill them. It's against Saiyan customs, apparently."

Vegeta's eyes widened. "Tarble's alive?" he whispered.

Bulma approached him, wrapping her arms around his lean waist. "Yes. He's alive, and he's going to be okay. I think the only thing that fazed him was the metal in his stomach, and the aftereffects of the knockout gas. He isn't even in shock anymore. He's going to be perfectly fine, Vegeta."

"Oh, Kami," he breathed. His anger suddenly quenched, he dropped Miyamoto on top of Nakamura, his golden hair fading to black as he released his power. In three long strides he was at his brother's side, his once again onyx eyes washed over with relief.

"You scared the hell outta me," he said.

Tarble chuckled. "I scared the hell out of me too. My first permanent battle scar. Can you believe it? All because of a silly human."

Vegeta growled menacingly, but Tarble was too excited to notice. "You went Legendary, Vegeta!" he cried. "I can't believe this! Your power was incredible! I can't wait to see Father's face when you show him-"

He was cut of abruptly as Vegeta's arms enveloped him in a brotherly embrace.

"I swear, if you ever almost die on me again, I'll kill you myself," Vegeta said.

Tarble smiled. Translation: I'm absolutely ecstatic that you're alive, Squirt.

"What were you sorry for? Exactly, I mean?" Vegeta asked.

Tarble looked away. "I heard the humans outside Vegeta-sei. Fasha and I were playing, and I heard them say they captured you with a strange machine. I thought I could take them. I was foolish."

Vegeta chuckled. "I thought the same thing. What did they capture you with?"

"Some pink bubble thing. They shot me with a strange beam. It felt like my Ki was on fire."

"Yes, I felt it."

Tarble looked away again. "I'm sorry."

"What did I tell you?" Vegeta snapped. "Shut up. And anyway, I felt it before that. They did it to me personally."

Tarble blinked. "But I didn't feel anything."

"That's probably because of the steel titanium glass," Bulma piped up. "It blocks outside energy transfers."

"That would explain why no-one felt it. And why no one could mentally contact me," Vegeta reasoned.

"What is wrong with my sons?" A new voice said. "You two have each almost been killed within a course of three weeks! That is far too many times!"

"Father!" Tarble cried excitedly. "Did you see Vegeta? He-"

"Are you alright, Tarble?" King Vegeta demanded.

"Um, yes…?"

"Good. Kakarot, Raditz, take those two blubbering fools back to the dungeons. I'll decide what to do with them later."

The Saiyan's appeared behind him a mere second before they flew towards the trembling scientist.

Vegeta growled. "I told you two to stay home unless I called you."

Raditz shrugged. "Higher orders, My Prince," he said apologetically.

"Besides," Goku said cheerfully, "we felt pain, and so did the King, so we came." With that, he and Raditz retrieved the trembling 'baffoons' and made their exit.

The King turned his steely gaze on Bulma's three friends and father. "I assume you all were also a part of this?" he growled.

"They're my friends –" Bulma started.

"Silence. Were you a part of harming my sons or weren't you?"

"Father, they had no choice –" Vegeta began, knowing she would be upset if they were harmed.

"I said, _silence_!" he turned his steel gaze on Bulma, who shrunk behind Vegeta. "You have been the cause of the near death of both of my sons. This will not go unpunished, whether Vegeta likes you or not."

Vegeta gritted his teeth. He'd had enough. "No."

The King looked at him disbelievingly. "No?" he asked incredulously.

"No, I won't be silent, and no, you won't hurt her. I won't allow it."

"Explain yourself," his father hissed.

"I am 21 years old now, Father. I demand some respect."

"You are still a child –"

"Who has by far surpassed you. I deserve respect for that if nothing else," Vegeta said firmly, rising from his crouch to stand in front of the blue haired woman.

The king blinked.

"It's true, Father!" Tarble cried. "Vegeta –"

"How dare you speak to me like that!" King Vegeta roared.

"Should I hide what I am then, Father?" Vegeta snarled back.

"I should –"

"Would you both just SHUT UP?" Tarble yelled.

They both turned to look at him. Tarble had never been one for hissy fits.

Satisfied that he'd gotten their attention, Tarble pushed himself into a standing position, his bullet wound already healing.

"Father," he said calmly. "Vegeta speaks the truth. Not only does he deserve respect, but he has surpassed you in every way. He had become Legendary. He is a superior strategist, he has better control over his anger…" Tarble paused, taking a breath. "And besides that, he's been more of a father to me than you ever have."

Both Vegetas stared at him. Never once had Tarble ever talked back to his father; the only time he ever spoke to his sire was when spoken to, and he normally basked in the allotted time he had in which to do so.

He wasn't sure what to respond to first; the fact that his eldest had achieved Legendary, or the fact that his youngest had admitted to him being a terrible father.

"I…" he started. "I…just…" he finally looked at Vegeta, his eyes wide with awe. "Legendary?"

Vegeta nodded numbly.

"Show me."

Vegeta stepped away from Bulma, straightening his shoulders. He took a deep breath, calling on his earlier anger. Clenching his fist, the Prince let out a loud battle cry. His hair flickered, turning to gold and his eyes turning to teal, his flaming yellow aura dancing around him.

King Vegeta gaped at him in complete astonishment. "It's incredible. You've really done it."

Vegeta took another breath, calming himself as he let go of his fury. "I thought they killed Tarble," he said. "After that I just…changed."

His father nodded weakly. "I see," he said. He turned to the smaller of his offspring. "Son, I never meant –"

"You weren't there when I was born," Tarble said bitterly. "Vegeta was. Vegeta taught me how to walk, he taught me to run; he even taught me how to dance. He taught me to hunt, he taught me to make a bow and spear, he taught me how to build new tech. Hell, he even taught me about women. That was _your_ job, Father. You were supposed to do these things. Not Vegeta. He shouldn't have had to have those responsibilities. And yet," he paused, clenching his fists as he swallowed, starting again. "Instead, I barely got to speak to you at all. I was lucky if you looked at me. How was that supposed to make me feel, Father?"

King Vegeta looked flustered.

Hot, frustrated tears rolled down Tarble's cheeks. "During battle practice, some people tried to make me angry by saying I didn't have a mother. I never let it get to me. I knew she didn't leave us on purpose. But you..." he brushed the tears away angry, "What was I supposed to do, if someone was low enough to tell me my father didn't care about me either? What was I supposed to do? Could I even do _anything_, if I didn't know the answer myself? Tell me that, Father."

The king opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. "Tarble, I never meant…I thought…I thought you hated me. I thought you'd _want_ to be away from me."

"Why should I hate you, besides why I do right now?" Tarble hissed.

"For not being there," King Vegeta said softly. "Rosicheena's death…it shocked me so much. And you were just like her. I couldn't stand to look at you until you were six. But by time I finally came around…I thought you would hate me, for not being there your whole life."

"It hurt us more that you weren't there in the long run, Father," Vegeta said softly. "We could have adjusted to a six year absence, but for you to not be there at all? That's where the real blow came from."

"Let's leave them alone," Bulma whispered, ushering her friends away from camp. Fasha lingered for a second, glancing at Tarble before she followed, deciding he was okay on his feet.

Vegeta felt like someone had crushed to air out of him.

He'd finally ascended. He was the only one in his kingdom to have accomplished this feat in over 500 years, and he hadn't lost his brother in the process.

And yet, the moment of victory was tainted with the bitter taste of wanted, yet unasked forgiveness.

Damn.

"I was a coward."

The statement shocked both Prince's thoroughly; if they'd expected some sort of apology, they certainly didn't expect it to come like this.

"I was afraid of how you would react to me, so I stayed away. I regret that."

The King looked at his feet for a moment before turning away swiftly. His footsteps made no sound as they began disappearing into the forest.

"Father?" Tarble asked.

The King stopped mid-step.

"Tell me about my mother."

His father sucked in his breath, biting his lip. "Didn't your brother –"

"I want to hear it from _you_."

He nodded, wrapping his arm around his youngest son, who'd somehow found the strength to walk to him with ease. "Very well."

Vegeta smiled a little as his father and little sibling disappeared into the forest. Fasha noticed their disappearance and followed in pursuit.

Meanwhile…

"What the hell were you guys thinking?" Bulma hissed.

"We were trying to find you, that's what! I mean, what the hell, Bulma? You just freaking disappeared!" Yamcha snapped back.

"I didn't disappear! You saw me leave with him!"

"I saw him pull you onto his back and take of running. What in Kami's name was I supposed to think?"

"I _told _you she went willingly," Krillin muttered.

"Geez, Yamcha, if Krillin could figure it out –" Bulma started.

"That's not fair, Bulma," 18 said. "Dr. Briefs and I had a part in this too. We were just scared, okay? I'm sorry."

Bulma clenched her fists and unclenched them, and exasperated sigh escaping her lips. "Next time, just –"

"There isn't going to be a next time," Dr. Briefs stated. "I'll not have my daughter running around in the jungle unsupervised. We're going home."

"But, Daddy! I –"

Big, muscular arms encircled her suddenly. "Is there a problem, Little Onna?" Vegeta said softly, his breath tickling her neck.

Bulma shivered. "Um…depends."

"On?"

"How badly you want me to come back, I suppose."

Vegeta raised his head, eyeing the humans. "Are you going to try to take her?" he asked them bluntly.

Dr. Briefs cowered. "She's my daughter."

"So?"

"What do you mean, so? She's my daughter and I'm taking her home!"

"And if she doesn't wish to return, would you force her?"

Speechless for a minute, Dr. Briefs stared at him before regaining his composure. "I…I don't suppose I would force her, but I would certainly try convincing –"

"I will send back escorts to bring you to our city," Vegeta said. "You may stay there for as long as you wish while you contemplate your decision."

"What about Bulma?" 18 asked.

Vegeta smiled wickedly, revealing his sharp canines. The blonde cringed.

"The woman," he said, "stays with me. Unless she objects, of course."

"Hold on a minute!" Yamcha protested. "You can't just –"

"Can it, Yamcha," Bulma snapped, leaning further into her Prince. "Nobody asked you. He can do as he pleases…for the most part."

"Bulma," Yamcha pleaded. "Don't do this. I wanted to start over, with us, I mean. Can't you just –"

"No," Bulma said. "I can't."

"But –"

Vegeta growled. "She said no, scar face. You lost." _She's mine._

Yamcha yelped at the mental attack. Vegeta's conscious had slammed into his mind without bonding, and it hurt like hell.

Vegeta grinned wickedly at his pained expression.

"Veggie-kun, be nice," Bulma scolded.

A low rumbling sounded from his chest; some type of cross between a growl and a purr. "What did you call me, Little Onna?"

"Oh, so you can give me nicknames and I can't give you any?"

He smirked, his furry tail dancing behind him. "Precisely."

"Jerk!"

He chuckled as he scooped her into his arms, his feet pushing off the ground before he disappeared from the human's view.

"Are you just going to let her –"Yamcha started.

"I don't think I have a choice, my boy," Dr. Briefs said thoughtfully.

* * *

><p>"I wonder how fast I am now," Vegeta wondered aloud, his hair flickering to gold again. His swiftly learned control over the state was amazing.<p>

"Vegeta, don't you dare –"

He laughed, pushing his feet faster as Bulma shrieked, clinging to his neck for dear life.

"Vegeta, I'm going to kill you!" Bulma screeched.

He gave a low, hearty chuckle, not slowing at all. "I'd like to see you try, Woman. I'd like to see you try."

* * *

><p>"I finally admitted to myself that I loved her the first time she slapped me in the face," King Vegeta chuckled.<p>

Tarble laughed. "What'd she slap you for?"

"Apparently, females do not like being called screeching banshees."

More laughter. "Oh, Father. Even Vegeta could tell you that."

They both chuckled, remembering what happened every time the Prince called Bulma a screaming ghoul.

"You two are hilarious," Vegeta said sarcastically, stepping into the throne room.

Tarble chuckled. "Hey, Vegeta-chan. Where's Bulma?"

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, wondering when his brother had begun taking up human formalities. "She's in her suite. She said she was exhausted from all the commotion."

Tarble grinned.

"What about Fasha, squirt? Where's your little woman?" Vegeta asked devilishly.

Tarble blushed furiously. "Shut up!" he said. The King chuckled.

"Speaking of which," Vegeta said, "Father?"

The King turned to look at him, his fingers absentmindedly stroking his beard. "Hm?"

Vegeta took a deep breath before looking his King square in the eye, a for once genuine smile teasing at his lips.

"I've chosen a woman."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: OKAY. That wasn't my best work, but I'm supposed to be studying for a freaking P.E. final and I'm screwed if I don't get started right now. So. Maybe one more chappie, or just a epilouge, I don't know yet.**

**Who wants a sequel? With Trunksie-kun?**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!**

**AND READ MY OTHER STORY AND REVIEW!**

**Pretty please. XD**

**~KimiruMai**


	11. Epilogue: Upcoming

**A/N: **

**Dbzfan77: I don't know. I'm thinking about that. I might, and I mean MIGHT, bring Gure in later, so not sure how that's going to go…what do you guys think?**

**Gohanroxme: Thank you so much! One sequel, coming right up!**

**FireStorm1991: Eh, you know how Saiyans are XD Thanks for reading!**

**Asrae: Well….I'll give you an epilogue, and a sequel's definitely coming! **

**Cara2012: GRR I forgot to mention that his newfound Ki burned most of it away. Sigh.**

**Anny1: That wasn't a mistake. Veggie-kun's aura is naturally blue. It's only yellow when he goes SSJ.**

**Anny2: Yes, I completely forgot about the Toxin. However, I have a wonderful follow up planned in the sequel...and yes, Veggie's still the Prince. King Vegeta hasn't retired quite yet. **

**Now….**

**I'm going to be SUPER mean to you guys. You'll know what I'm talking about when you get to the end. DON'T EAT ME!**

**Just a thought…I normally watch DBZ in English, but when I watched Yo! Son Goku and His Friend Return! in the Japanese dub, I realized something…Not that I don't like Veggie-kun's English voice, but the Japanese voice of his is just…sexy…**

**Any other squealing fangirls besides me notice that?**

**DISCLAIMER: Tarbie woulda stayed on Earth if I owned DBZ.**

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue: Upcoming<strong>

"Trunks! Come back here!" Bulma yelled, running after the lavender haired child. Sure, she'd gotten faster and stronger in the past few years, but the four year old demi-Saiyan was incredibly fast, just like his father. The second Trunks had learned to walk (8 months) he'd taken off running, and Bulma had been chasing him every day since.

The little Prince giggled at her, pushing his little feet faster. Bulma started to tire, so when her Saiyan made boots caught in the thick grass, tripping her, she didn't bother getting up.

A deep, sexy chuckled sounded from above her. Vegeta smirked. "What's the matter, Woman? Can't you keep up with a toddler?"

Bulma grumbled, lifting her head from the soft tresses of Vegeta-sei's grass to glare at him. Her glare wavered, however, the second her blue eyes met his obsidian ones, and she cracked a smile.

"Catch your son," she groaned, exasperated.

He laughed, disappearing from sight for a split second, reappearing with a squirming demi-Saiyan in one hand.

He smirked at her as she climbed to her feet. "So he's _your_ son when he behaves, and he's _my_ son when you can't catch him."

She grinned, taking the little boy from him and kissing her life mate's cheek. "Precisely," she said smartly.

"Put me down!" Trunks protested.

Ignoring the boy, Vegeta smirked again, folding his muscular arms. "He must be my son more often than not, if that's the case," he teased.

Bulma blushed. "Shut up! It's your fault anyhow. If you weren't so damn fast I wouldn't have this problem. Your genes are the ones that screwed him up."

He laughed again, tugging on her blue locks. "Oh contraire, little Banshee, his behavior is quite adequate for a Saiyan."

"Hmph."

"Moooommmm!" Trunks whined. "Can't I go play now?"

"Did you finish your studies?"

"Yes! Motheeeerrr, I wanna go play with Goten. Can I go now?"

She sighed and kissed his forehead. "I suppose. Be careful, okay?"

"Hmph," Vegeta said. "He is a Saiyan. He doesn't need to be careful."

"He's only four, Vegeta!"

"I'm a big boy, Mom!" Trunks objected.

She smiled at her son. "I know you are, Trunksie, but Mommy still worries about you."

The little boy folded his arms and scowled, just like his father. "Don't call me that, Mom! That name's for babies!"

Vegeta chuckled, ruffling his son's hair. "That's my boy," he smiled proudly. "Go on and play, son. I'll hold your mother off."

"Yay!" He cried, taking to the skies.

"You will do no such thing, you arrogant little –"

Vegeta tossed her over his shoulders, smirking as she beat his back with her little fists. "What are you trying to do, Little Onna? Tickle me?"

"UGH! Damn you and your freaking giant muscles!"

He swung her around so she sat in his arms like a baby. "I thought you liked my muscles, Žena," he said softly, nipping her ear.

A crimson slash appeared on her cheeks. "Shut up," she muttered.

He laughed.

"I can't believe you taught him how to fly," Bulma complained, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Now I'll never catch him."

"You couldn't catch him before, either," he pointed out, flying into his room through the balcony. "I don't see how not modifying your less than positive chances would change anything."

"Jerk."

"Banshee."

She smacked his arm and buried her face in his neck, sighing softly as they laid themselves on their bed.

"You're going to be the death of me one day, Woman," he whispered into her hair.

Bulma lifted her head slightly, surprise and concern written on her face. "Why do you say that?" she asked.

He smiled at her, closing his eyes. He purred softly as her fingers petted his tail lovingly, and he nuzzled his nose further into her soft blue tresses.

"Because," he said softly, his voice full of desire, "You are my only weakness."

Bulma smiled as his lips grazed her softly, teasing her mouth tenderly, just to show her how much he truly wanted her.

* * *

><p>"You're it!" Trunks yelled, tackling a perfect replica of a miniature Goku.<p>

"Aww, no fair, Trunks," three year old Goten whined. "You're faster than me! And you can fly! Can we play something that needs muscles?"

Trunks grinned. "I don't see why we should. I'd still beat you."

"That's mean!"

The lavender haired boy just laughed and took off running.

For a couple of toddlers, the demi-Saiyan children's intellect was thoroughly impressive, even for their father's species. They got bored easily and got into mischief, and the little scoundrels had what Bulma called a 'duel mind'; the other always knew where the second was, what they felt like emotionally, and by some strange phenomena, even what the other was doing without being anywhere near the other.

Suddenly, Trunks stopped. Goten crashed into him, his bare feet skidding in the dirt.

"Watch it!" Trunks yelled.

"You just stopped all of a sudden! What was I supposed to do?" retorted the raven haired child.

Trunks grumbled, looking back up at the sky. "Hey Goten? What do you suppose that is?"

Goten looked up, following Trunks' gaze. "Um…I don't know. A firefly maybe?"

The older boy shook his head. "Uh-uh. It's really far away."

He pondered for a moment on what the strange object could be. Then, the blue eyes that resembled his father's in shape widened considerably.

"Goten? Where's Gohan?"

They were back at Goten's house in a matter of seconds, each one yelling at the top of their lungs as they beat on the door.

Gohan opened it, staring at them. "What's all the commotion about?" the now eleven year old asked.

The jumping boys calmed slightly, panting. "Gohan, I need to go home," Trunks said urgently.

The eldest boy raised an eyebrow. "What for? You just got here."

Trunks pointed upwards. Gohan followed his gaze, his eyes widening.

"No," he whispered. "It can't be…it's been over ten years…why now?"

Trunks tugged at Gohan's pants leg. Goku's first born looked down at the little Prince, his eyes betraying his fear.

"Gohan, I need to find my dad. Right now."

* * *

><p>Tarble, now18 years old, knocked on his brother's door, grimacing when he heard a growl from within the royal suite.<p>

Vegeta opened the door, looking a bit ticked off. "What?" he demanded. "I'm busy."

Tarble smirked. "Imagine that," he said. Vegeta's cheeks colored slightly. "Bulma's friends are here to see her again."

Vegeta growled. "Tell them to come back later."

Tarble turned on his heels, a mischievous grin on his face. "Oookay. I'm sure you didn't want to see the new woman Yamcha brought this time. After all, her blue hair isn't nearly as pretty as Bulma's…"

Vegeta grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back. "Another blue haired woman?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Yup, but it's dark blue. Like our armor. But it's not like you'd want to contrast the two in front of Yamcha or anything. I mean, proving _your_ blue haired woman is better than _his_ blue haired woman is hardly good sportsmanship –"

"We'll be down in a second," Vegeta said, somewhat amused.

Tarble chuckled as his elder brother slammed the door. He always knew just how to get under Vegeta's skin, and it was highly entertaining.

"Woman," Vegeta said. "Your friends are here again. We're going to see them. Get up."

Bulma sat up, the sheets tangled around her half naked body. "Really? You _want _to go see them?"

He smirked. "Yes. Apparently the scarred one has brought a female with dark blue hair. I'm going to take great pleasure in showing him that my blue haired banshee is far superior."

Bulma laughed and climbed out of bed. "You are so competitive, Vegeta," she said as she slipped her shirt on.

He chuckled. "That's why you have so much trouble resisting me, is it not?"

Bulma smiled, standing behind him in the mirror. She wrapped her arms around his lean waist, inhaling his scent. "Yes," she murmured.

"Hn," he said, taking her small hand in his big one and kissing it. "Hurry up and get dressed, Little Banshee. I'm going to enjoy this."

* * *

><p>Bulma's friends waited for her in the dining room, jumping to their feet when the royal couple entered the premises.<p>

"Hey Bulma!" 18 cried. Bulma hugged her, smiling.

"Hey 18! Hey Krillin, Yamcha. It's been forever, hasn't it?" she looked to a woman with dark blue hair standing next to her ex-boyfriend. "Who's this?"

"I'm Launch, Yamcha's girlfriend," the woman replied.

"Nice to meet you," Bulma said warmly, crossing on arm over her chest.

Launch raised an eyebrow. Bulma laughed. "Oops. Sorry, I guess I've gotten used to Saiyan customs. You kinda have to when you're married to their Prince, you know?"

Launch gaped. "Yamcha, you never told me she married the Prince!" She looked at Vegeta wonderingly.

Yamcha bristled. "Sorry, babe, I just –"

"Babe," Vegeta interrupted. "Why do you always call your women babe? You called Bulma that the first time I met you. Clearly, she is not a child."

Yamcha glared at him. "Shut up, Vegeta. You never call her anything but Woman."

The Prince smirked. "Oh contraire, I call her Onna, Žena, Little One, Banshee…" he paused for dramatic effect, his tail sneaking very deliberately around Bulma's waist, "…Mine."

Yamcha gritted his teeth, pulling Launch closer. "Good for you, monkey boy."

Normally, Vegeta would have torn the other man to shreds for calling him that, but he was currently enjoying himself.

"Aww, what's the matter?" he taunted. "You look like you're afraid someone will steal your woman. Actually, that's plausible. After all, there's no cage around here to protect her –"

"Clam it, you thickheaded –"

"Cage?" Launch asked.

Bulma blushed. "Um, the first time I met him, Yamcha and the crew shot him with sedatives and put him in a cage I built. It was literally indestructible. But when I let him out, he brought me here to visit, and I kind of just stayed. On my own account, of course. Anyway, the two that wanted to study him, Miyamoto and Nakamura, they're still in the dungeons, but Vegeta decided to let Yamcha and the others go."

Vegeta smirked. "Yes, and he couldn't even hold her attention while I was around. Hell, two minutes after their breakup she was chatting my ear off –"

"Would you shut up?" Yamcha hissed.

18 and Krillin sighed, taking a seat.

"She ranted to me for about two seconds," Vegeta continued as if Yamcha hadn't spoken, "about how upset she was that he'd cheated of her, and I said one little word and suddenly she forgot all about it –"

"You bastard," Yamcha spat.

"Now, 'Geta, you know you didn't have to bring that up," Bulma scolded.

Launch turned to her boyfriend. "You cheated on her?"

"Um…"

"You aren't cheating on me, are you?" Launch's lower lip trembled, like she was going to cry.

"NO!"

"Oh, I don't doubt him," Vegeta said casually. He grinned, winking at Bulma. "After losing a prize like this? I doubt he'll ever cheat again."

"You little –" Yamcha started.

"What's wrong? Still upset that I got the better catch?"

"Vegeta," Bulma groaned, blushing a little.

"What? It's true."

Launch giggled a little, too innocent to be offended. Of course Vegeta would find her preferable; she was his wife.

"Your Majesty?" A guard entered the room, dropping to one knee at Vegeta's feet.

"What is it, Zorn?"

"Your son is outside, my Prince. He demands your attention. He said it was most urgent."

Vegeta sighed. Just when this was getting fun.

The rest of the group (minus Yamcha) gave a collective sigh too, only of relief.

They all went outside for fresh air, not expecting anything to be direly important. Bulma, however, clung to Vegeta's arm, a feeling of dread suddenly washing over her with every step they took.

"Dad!" Trunks cried, rushing to his parents. He pulled on his father's red cloak, yelling at him to hurry up.

It was then that Vegeta noticed the urgency in his son's voice. He crouched in front of the little boy, putting both hands on his shoulders. "Trunks, calm down. What's wrong?"

The little boy's eyes were filled with terror, and he pointed to a spot in the sky above where Goku, Gohan and Goten stood with Tarble and Fasha. Vegeta looked up.

"Oh, Kami," he whispered. He stood slowly, making his way to the rest of the Saiyans, who stood there solemnly, watching the sky.

"They're here," Goku said, his voice eerily dead.

Vegeta nodded, his face taking on a seriousness that he now only war previous to battle. He felt his animal instincts sharpen on their own, his body gearing itself up without his permission.

"Dammit," he said softly, gritting his teeth.

Bulma approached him, but stopped a few feet away, fear of an unseen force making her freeze.

"Vegeta?" she asked quietly.

He said nothing for a moment, his dark, obsidian eyes becoming deathly serious, like the Prince of Battle that he was.

Bulma took a second to look at him, really look at him. His broad shoulders were now tensed, his jaw set firmly, or rather, more so than usual, and his fists were clenched. His normally lively tail stiffened, wrapping protectively around his waist. The wind licked gently at his cloak, pulling a few charcoal strands of hair from his black, flame-like mane.

He turned to her, his steel gaze softening slightly as his dark eyes fell on his beautiful life mate.

"It's the Ice-jins, Bulma. They've returned."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: The End.**

**Yes, I KNOW, I'm an evil woman and you all hate me. But hey, I update fast. Sequel will come very soon cuz Christmas Break starts in two days. Speaking of which, I should be studying.**

**Look out for the sequel to The Animal I Have Become... **

**Only The Strongest.**

**~KimiruMai.**


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